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A civil society organization and Accountability Forum in Abuja has criticized the Nigerian government’s alleged plans to award new contracts while existing contractors are still unpaid. The government is said to be planning to award N60 billion worth of contracts from a budget of N185 billion for flood control infrastructure. The organization argues that contractors who have already completed their work should be paid first, rather than awarding new contracts. The organization also suspects that the contract awards may be benefiting politicians, as some of the projects are being handled by elected officials or their proxies. The organization is considering mass protests and legal action if the new contracts are not halted.
A civil society organization, CSO, and Accountability Forum based in the federal capital territory, FCT Abuja has expressed dissatisfaction with the alleged plans of the federal government to award contracts to new contractors while others are still owed. The government, through its Ministry of Works, is said to be planning to award approximately N60 billion worth of contracts from the N185 billion budget allotted for flood control infrastructure. The CSO questions the decision to award new contracts instead of paying the contractors who have already completed their work but have not been paid despite the amendment of the 2022 supplementary budget to include the sum of N185 billion for contractor payments related to flood control infrastructures.
In a statement signed by Magnus Anthony, the CSO emphasized that the awarding of contracts seemed to benefit politicians in disguise rather than prioritize the payment of contractors who have already completed their work. The forum criticized the allocation of funds for contracts unrelated to flood control, such as solar street lights and Keke NAPEP supplies. The CSO urged the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Works to prioritize the payment of contractors who have completed their work and condemned the decision to award new contracts while contractors remain unpaid.
The CSO alleged that the new contracts are directed towards politicians or their associates, and that elected officials are handling many of the projects included in the 2022 amended supplementary budget. The CSO cited specific examples of projects allocated to elected officials or their proxies, including the construction of the Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadeijia road, the completion of the Yanfada-Kunchi-Bagwai road, the construction of the Yarmawa-Jakata-Farinruwa-Tsanyawa-Tofa road, the Katsina-Ala/Takum road, and the rehabilitation of the Kanya Babbura-Buban Mutum road in Jigawa. The CSO called for the cancellation of the new contracts and threatened to organize mass protests and take legal action against key officials of the Ministry of Works if the planned contracts are not halted. The CSO also urged relevant government agencies to investigate officials of the ministry.
In conclusion, the CSO called on President Bola Tinubu to reconsider his decision on the N500 billion palliatives and return the money for use in the flood control infrastructures it was initially budgeted for.
