Contractors Protest Over Unpaid Contracts in FCT
Local contractors in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) staged a protest at the minister’s office on Monday, demanding payment for contracts allegedly worth around N5 billion over the past two years. The demonstration highlighted widespread frustration among local businesses who claim they have not received payments for work completed under various projects.
Several contractors shared their grievances with reporters, stating that some individuals owed millions of naira. They called on the minister to engage directly with them to better understand their demands and resolve the issue. Okeke Benardine, one of the protesters, explained that his company had worked on several projects for the FCT over the years. He noted that while some payments were made during the previous administration, the current government has failed to settle outstanding debts.
“We’ve done jobs with the FCT over the years. When the minister came, he paid us some. Most of our liability is from the present administration. But we have not been paid for almost two years now,” Benardine said.
He described the nature of his work, including installing air conditioning units, setting up inverters, and drilling boreholes for offices. “All we are doing is begging the minister. We don’t know the problem; he should just pay us. That is the essence of all this.”
Benardine also mentioned that some of his colleagues had worked with different agencies, such as the Education Department, RUWASSA, Water Board, and Health. “We don’t know why they are not paying us,” he added.
When asked about the total amount owed, Benardine revealed that the group presented a bill of N5.2 billion. However, he claimed that his personal debt was approximately N270 million. “I have met one or two people who said their bills are not here, so I am sure it’s more than N5.2 billion. I know some of our members are saying their bill is before 2023. But I can assure you that 70 per cent of the bill is from 2023.”
Another contractor, Adebola Benson, alleged that he was arrested after sending a text message to the FCT Minister asking why payments had not been made. “Like in my own case, I was arrested because of this matter, because I sent him a text, asking why we are having this issue. And the next thing I saw was a Police officer calling me. So, my job was investigated. And I think the Police reported back to him. But I do not know why the Police did that,” he stated.
Benson appealed to the minister to listen directly to the contractors’ demands. “We are begging him to do what he can do to make sure this money is being paid. My personal money is in millions. I can’t disclose the total sum, but it’s in millions.”
He emphasized the need for direct communication between the minister and the contractors. “We want the situation where he will listen to us directly, not from people who are around him. We want him to talk to us one-on-one. Let us know what the problem is, and why he is not paying.”
Some of the protesters carried placards with messages like, “Hon Minister Wike, please kindly authorise our payment. We can hardly take care of our families,” and “Hon Minister Wike, please extend your kindness to us by authorising indigenous contractors’ payment.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration denied claims that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike awarded contracts worth N5 billion to local contractors. In a statement, Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, clarified that no such contracts were issued by the minister.
“No contract was awarded to any of the local contractors by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. If they have documents showing the award of contracts by the Minister, they should produce them,” Olayinka stated.
He explained that what Wike inherited were outstanding bills from previous administrations, totaling N10 billion, which had been paid in two tranches. “In December 2023, a bill of about N10 billion was presented to the Minister as outstanding payment on jobs done by local contractors before he assumed office. They called it ‘Shopping’ or Minor Procurement.”
Olayinka noted that the minister approved a payment of over N5 billion in December 2023 and another N5 billion in January 2024, clearing the entire N10 billion debt. However, three months later, new claims emerged, with some contractors alleging a fresh debt of N15 billion.
The media raised questions about the changing figures provided by the contractors. “From N15 billion to N8 billion and now N5 billion, the question is, on whose authority was the contracts awarded? Those are the questions they have to answer first,” Olayinka stressed.
The FCTA reiterated that while Wike has honored inherited debts, he has not issued new contracts under the disputed “minor procurement” arrangement.
