Some contractors engaged for projects executed across various Local Government Areas of Kaduna State have cried out over alleged non-payment of billions of naira, accusing officials of the Kaduna State Ministry for Local Government and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), of a deal.
According to the contractors, engaged under “Formal Act Legacy Limited”, the projects involved construction of classrooms, boreholes, supply of hospital beds, generators, ambulances, drugs and vaccines, and motorcycles.
The contractors said after repeated complaints of non-payment, a petition was written to the EFCC regarding Formal Act Legacy Limited.
Following the petition, the Kaduna State Government allegedly directed the Ministry for Local Government to set up a committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry.
It was allegedly agreed by the Ministry, the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, that all contractors should return to site and complete their pending jobs, with assurance that payment would be made within two weeks of completion.
The contractors, however, alleged that after complying and completing the jobs as prescribed, payments were still not made.
They further alleged that the Commissioner for Local Government and officials of the EFCC conspired to sell off the drugs that were supplied, with the intention of paying contractors from the proceeds.
According to them, the drugs were disposed of without supervision from the supplying contractors or any staff of Formal Act Legacy Limited to verify the value. They also alleged that the ICPC was sidelined in the deal and no feedback was given.
The contractors expressed suspicion of compromise, noting that the Local Government Chairmen who allegedly signed the contract agreements were not charged alongside one Alh. Bashir Mohammed, but were allowed to go free, while contractors remain in poverty and are accumulating interest on loans taken to execute the projects.
Some of the contractors also alleged that they wrote to the EFCC to withdraw their case and retrieve documents submitted, but the anti-graft agency refused to release them.
“The contractors believe there has been a silent deal to kill the case to their detriment,” a source familiar with the matter, Comrade Daniel Ejembi said.
Ejembi is the Chief Executive Officer of Eagle Brain Human Rights Organisation.
He noted that his organisation had received several petitions from the affected contractors.
He therefore called on the leadership of the EFCC to urgently and transparently investigate the handling of the case by its operatives; on the EFCC and ICPC to jointly invite all Local Government Chairmen involved to account and ensure contractors are paid; and on the Kaduna State Ministry for Local Government to give a full public account of the committee’s findings, the agreement reached, and the disposal of the drugs without consent.
The group warned that failure to act within the shortest possible time would leave the contractors with no option but to take lawful action against the EFCC and the Ministry over the disposal of their drugs without consent or valuation.