Kaduna contractors give El-Rufai ultimatum, threaten to occupy govt house with wives, children

Governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai

Some contractors under the umbrella of Kaduna Drainage Contractors have given Governor Nasiru Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State a five-day ultimatum to invite them for a round-table meeting for the payment of the amount owed them or face a sit-down protest at the entrance of the government house.

The contractors decried the refusal of the Kaduna state government to pay their contracts fees said to be totalling N1.2 billion.

The contractors, who gave a-five-day ultimatum for the government to invite them for a roundtable meeting, vowed to embark on a sit-down protest at the entrance to the government house should it fail to pay them at the expiration of the ultimatum.

While addressing newsmen shortly after an emergency meeting of the group held in Kaduna, the Public Relations Officers of the Kaduna Road Agency, KADRA, Nasir Abubakar explained that they (contractors) would not only occupy the gate leading to the government house but will also mobilise their children, wives and family members to join the sit-down protest.

According to him, the contracts were said to be scattered across seven local government areas of Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Igabi, Chikun, Zaria, Sabo Gari, and Jama’a in the state.

The 489 contractors, who were part of the contracts, alleged that some selected close allies of the Governor were paid the sum of six hundred million naira in December, 2017.

“At the initial, the allocated amount for the said contracts was N3.5 billion and thereafter it was screened to N1.8 billion with the inauguration of a committee headed by the Secretary to Kaduna State Government, SSG, Abass Balarebe.

“As I speak to you now, 46 contractors are currently in jail, because they couldn’t pay for the materials collected, ranging from blocks, planks, sand, granite, among other materials,” Abubakar explained.

The contractors alleged that from information available to them, there was an order for the approval of six hundred million naira to be paid to the drainage contractors, as at the time of meeting, yet nobody out of the contractors has received any payment alert.

The group however called on the Kaduna State government to ensure the payment of the amount owed them, as matter of urgency.

When contacted on phone, the commissioner of finance, Abdul Kwari, distanced his office from the allegations, saying that the Kaduna Road Agency was in a better position to talk on the issue.