FCT Consultants Petition Minister Over Unpaid Funds

Minister of state for Federal Capital Territory, Hajia Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, has been petitioned by Area Council Service Commission Consultants on long over-due unpaid consultancy fees held back by the administration since 2020.

In a letter signed by the 44 aggrieved members, and received at the registry of the office of the permanent secretary, FCTA and office the minister of state on Friday,  consultants on training to the FCT Area Council Service Commission said they decided to petition the minister in order to bring to the notice of the FCT Administration that jobs that had been duly executed for over two years are yet to be paid for by the management of the FCT Area Council Service Commission despite the fact that the Commission receives 1% training fund allocation from the FCT Administration monthly.

One of the consultants, Mr Owolabi Olusegun, who was one of signatories to the petition, said the move became necessary given that all efforts, including meetings with the acting Administrative Secretary of the Commission, Alhaji Musa Loko, on December 19 and 28, 2022, on the unpaid consultancy fees amounting to about N600 million has been futile, even when it was resolved at the meeting that payment would commence with the December allocation.

The petition reads in part: “To our dismay, the acting Administrative Secretary failed to stick to the initial agreement reached on December 19, 2022, stating that until further directive from a higher authority is received before payment can commence as agreed. It would be interesting to note that since the inception of Alhaji Musa Loko in office, 100% upfront payments are made to his new consultants without reference to the procurement act and due diligence.

“On this note, we’re appealing and advising our amiable Minister of State to immediately halt further training until when all liabilities owed consultants are paid considering that most of the consultants took loans from banks and are way off mark on remittance of interests coupled with the economic hardship of the day where some cannot pay the school fees of their wards.  And to cap it all, some of the consultants are late (dead) as a result of being unable to offset their hospital bills.”