Kaduna Contractors Give El-Rufai Five-Day Ultimatum, Threaten To Protest At The Entrance Of Government House

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, has been given a five-day ultimatum by some contractors under the umbrella of Kaduna Drainage Contractors to invite them for a meeting for the payment of the amount owed them or face a sit-down protest at the entrance of the government house.

The contractors revealed how the Kaduna State government has refused to pay their contracts fees said to be totaling N1.2 billion.

The contractors stated that at the end of the five day ultimatum, if their demands are not meet, they will embark on a sit-down protest at the entrance to the government house.

The Public Relations Officers of the Kaduna Road Agency, KADRA, Nasir Abubakar, while speaking to journalist after their meeting revealed that the 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.