…As Members Accuse Perm Sec Of Selective Treatment
Members of the FCT Indigenous Contractor’s Association are set for a showdown with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration over unpaid debts running into billions of Naira for contracts executed within the FCT.
This is Members Of the Association accuse the Permanent Secretary Olusade Adesola Of selecting paying friends and cronies at the deterrent of other contractors.
According to findings the members are equally disenchanted with the leadership of the Association who the alleged are not doing much to better their pointing out that many of them have died while banks are on their necks over their inability to service the loans they took to execute the jobs.
According to a contractor who does not want his name in print” the Permanent Secretary since his redeployment from the Ministry Of Niger Delta on August 8th 2020, to the FCT has been playing god with the lives of contractors, we learnt that is his stock in trade as he picks and chooses what job to pay. We are suffering banks are threatening to sell off our assets that we used as collateral to borrow to execute the jobs.
“We have artisans here that we have not paid since January and this is having a toll on them and their families, they have been threatening to mobilize themselves for a protest to press home their demands. With things the way it is now nobody is sure to get money to pay for our children’s school fees” he added.
He further stated that “all of us are determined to have a show down with the FCT administration over the unpaid debts but we are been held down by the leadership who are insisting that we give them time to have a meeting with the Minister and the Permanent Secretary. We have given them one week to sort it out or we take to the streets. Some of us are of the opinion that they are benefiting or being paid behind our backs.
“We are asking to be paid for jobs that we have done and not charity. We have bills to pay, school fee and medical expenses. And with the COVID-19 and the recession you can then imagine our situation with bank loans hanging on our necks. It has not been easy and we are running out of patience and if something is not done urgently we will have no other option than to take to the streets to protest the non payment of our debts.
They accused the Permanent Secretary of highhandedness and disobedience to approvals by the Minister noting that he is acting as if he is untouchable and very insensitive to the plight of contractors.
Since January no contractor has been paid and this they said has affected the servicing of the loans they took from banks.
The contractors were seen having a shouting bout with the leadership of the FCT Indigenous Contractors Association who they accused of abandoning the members and have not fought for the payment of the debts owed them.
