Contractors who executed road projects for the Imo State government have appealed to Governor, Rochas Okorocha to pay their money, saying that it is inhuman for the government not to honour its contractual agreement three years after executing the road contracts.
The contractors, under the aegis of “Genuine Unpaid Imo Road Contractors” said that they have met all necessary requirement including the inspection and certification of their job by inspection teams of engineers and contract administrators of the state government.
In a statement signed by the representatives of the group, Engr Abdulkadir Ogirima, Jonathan Onyeukwu, Goddy Oparaku, Sir Anthony Nwafor and Eze Goddy Paul, a copy of which was made available to Daily Sun, disclosed that payment certificates on the executed road contracts were processed and forwarded in memoranda by the relevant ministry and committees to the office of the governor after necessary inspection.
The statement read in part: ”after signing the contract, the contractors were prevailed upon by the state government to move equipment, labour and material to site and commence work on the road contracts without payment of mobilization fees.
“The excuse of the state government was that some contractors in the past had absconded with mobilization fees paid to their companies without execution of the contracts.”
They said that they also have individually worked to the agreed percentages of work and milestone to deserve payment in accordance with the terms and obligations in the contract.
“It is disheartening and indeed highly frustrating that the good gesture of the contractors is not reciprocated but rather the payment obligation by the government within the contract is not fulfilled for over two years till date.”
They disclosed that having taken loans running to millions with high interest rates from commercial banks to execute the road construction, their properties have been confiscated by the banks leading to death and hospitalization of some of their members.
“The non-payment of the contractors, considering the high interests payable on the loans, has caused frustration, litigation from banks leading to loss of company properties as collateral to financial institutions, suffering of various degrees of trauma, outright death of some directors while some members who developed hypertension are still in hospital.” (Daily Sun)
