The Anambra State governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has assured contractors who supplied diesel for powering street-lighting facilities that his administration would settle the N900 million they claimed was being owed them by the administration.
The chief of staff (COS) to the governor, Mr. Ernest Ezeajuna, made the promise on behalf of the governor yesterday when the aggrieved contractors stormed the new Government House christened “Light House, Awka” protesting the debt, which they said had been owed them for more than three years now.
Responding to the aggrieved contractors claim that the government was being selective in payment of the debt alleging that the government had paid about seven out of 72 of them and that 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 payment.
He particularly expressed happiness with the contractors over the various inscriptions on their placards, which 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 APGA attire, some putting on APGA caps. 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.”
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 72 contractors supplied the state government with diesel for powering street lights across the state and that about eight had even died.
He also said that all of them were APGA stakeholders, but that the state government had paid about seven of them, leaving the rest of them. 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 petroleum products to the state in solidarity with them over the government’s failure to pay the debt, but rescinded the action after the state government accepted to pay, but had since failed to keep the promise.
One of the aggrieved contractors, Lady Chidinma Orakwe threatened that the female ones among them would lay siege at the Government House nude if the government continued to owe them.
