From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
Anambra state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo has assured contractors who supplied diesel for powering Street-lightening facilities that his administration would settle the N900m they claimed was being owed them by the administration.
The Chief of Staff (COS) to the governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajughi made the promise on behalf of governor on Thursday when the aggrieved contractors stormed the new government house christened "Light House, Awka" protesting the debt which they said had been owed them for over three years now.
Responding to the aggrieved contractors claims that the government was being selective in payment of the debt and the allegation that government had paid about seven out of 72 of them while their banks and petroleum marketers have been on their neck because of the debt, the COS assured that the government would initiate immediate steps to settle the debt, but, said that it would conduct a review of the payment made so far to make sure it does not make double payments
He particularly expressed happiness with the contractors over the various inscriptions in their placards where they expressed their support for Soludo's re-election but only demanded payment of the debt owed them.
Ezeajuna said "Let me start by thanking you for what I see in these placards you are carrying. You said 4+4=8". Your leader is wearing APGA uniform. And all of you are adorning in APGA attire, some putting on APGA caps, etc. So, we are one family; it is a family thing.
"It has taken sometime (you are owed), we will find solution to it. But since you said that some of you have been paid, we will review it to make sure that double payment is not made", he stated further.
Earlier, spokesperson of the aggrieved contractors, Hon. Nnaemeka Oraka lamented that they have been owed the debt since 2022. He said that the debt covered their diesel supply for two months of March and April, 2022.
He said that they were 72 contractors that supplied the state government the diesel for the powering street lightening across the state and that about eight people among them being owed the money have died.
He disclosed that all of them were APGA stakeholders but that the state government had paid about seven of them leaving out the rest. He also complained that after the termination of the contract, they were directed to return all the power generators they used to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs which he said oversaw the contract execution and payment but lamented that they have not been refunded the money they spent for purchasing the power generators as agreed by the Ministry.
Oraka also stated that Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPMAN) had earlier threatened to stop supplying of petroleum products to the state as a solidarity to them over the government failure to pay the debt but rescinded their action after the state government through the officials in a meeting to resolve the matter, accepted to pay but had since then failed to keep the promise.
"We are APGA stakeholders and we are not against the administration of His Excellency, Mr. Governor. In fact, I am proud of the governor. But we want him to pay us this debt because our bankers, marketers are on our neck. And the debt has affected our businesses", Oraka lamented further.
One of the aggrieved contractors, Lady Chidinma Orakwe threatened that the female ones amongst them would lay siege at the government house nude if the government continued to owe them.
