New Telegraph

N17bn debt: Contractors protest, threaten to shut Agric Ministry

For the sixth time, aggrieved contractors yesterday blocked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, demanding the payment of jobs they executed for the Ministry. The contractors claimed that the Ministry has refused to pay for the jobs completed since 2018.

Leader of the Concerned 2018 Unpaid Contractors, Emeka Ihekwe, said the aggrieved contractors have resolved to flood the Ministry with members of their families to totally occupy the offices, should the government still hold on to their payment. According to him, the officials of the Ministry have been making promises on the payment of the over N17 billion debt, but the Permanent Secretary has continually reneged.

Some of the contractors, Agatha Nwahiri and Wisdom Ochonma, claimed that the Ministry had sent its officers to verify the jobs in the various sites across the country, and have established the authenticity of the contractors’ claims. Another aggrieved contractor, Abdullahi Tajudeen, alleged that the Permanent Secretary was delaying the payments for his selfish interest. He said: “The seven-day ultimatum we gave the Ministry had expired and the Ministry had refused to keep to their words to pay us.

“From Wednesday, we are going to flood the Ministry with members of our family for a total shut down, and we will occupy there until we are paid.” While no official from the Ministry came out to address the contractors, a letter purportedly written and signed by one Hassan Mohammed, on behalf of Agriculture Minister was obtained by our correspondent. “The ministry has made a request to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning for the settlement of the debt and the request is being accorded the necessary attention,” the letter stated.

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