Fresh Crisis Looms As FCT Contractors Threaten Protest Over Unpaid N5.2bn Debt

A fresh crisis is brewing in the Federal Capital Territory as contractors handling FCT Administration (FCTA) projects have threatened to protest over an unpaid N5.2 billion debt.

The contractors appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to authorize the payment without further delay, warning that they would be forced to take to the streets if the administration continues to ignore their plight.

This threat comes at a time when the administration is already locked in a dispute with its workers, who are demanding the payment of various salary arrears.

Mr. Adebola Benson, Chairman of the Indigenous Contractors, expressed the group’s displeasure during a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday.

He noted that members had invested significant resources to execute projects, many of which are now stalled or completed without reimbursement.

According to Benson, many contractors can no longer meet their family responsibilities, and some have tragically died due to the stress of mounting debts.

Mr. Rufai Mosuwa, a member of the contractors’ committee, argued that since due process was followed and completion certificates were submitted, payment should have been seamless.

“Ordinarily, we shouldn’t have issues with payment if the FCT hadn’t stopped it. We’ve written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu to intervene; the effect of non-payment is unimaginable,” Mosuwa said.

He added that the group has written seven letters to the Minister, the Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, and other authorities, but has received no positive response.

“We wrote to Senator Ireti Kingibe, who tried to intervene. She forwarded our letter to the Senate Committee on Public Petitions. We appeared there once, but the FCT representative failed to show up. The case was adjourned, and we haven’t been summoned since,” Mosuwa explained.

The group has also sought intervention from the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FCT, Aliyu Betara, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Senate President, and the Inspector-General of Police.

Mr. Martins Ezendu, a member of the Board of Trustees, highlighted the human cost of the delay, stating that many members have been ejected from their homes or have fallen terminally ill due to financial hardship.

It would be recalled that in December last year, the Coalition of Indigenous FCT Contractors staged a protest at the Minister’s office over the same debt.

As of the time of this report, officials of the FCT Administration declined to comment on the matter. (NAN)