Local contractors in Imo State under the umbrella of Unpaid Imo Contractors have taken a new dimension in their protest by conducting special prayer sessions on major streets within Owerri the State capital, in a bid to press down their demands from the State government.
They complained that most of their members had suffered untold hardship over the years due to unpaid contract sum of projects executed for the State government.
However, in a quick response, the Imo State Government had maintained that the claims by the group was malicious and politically motivated because the State government was not owing any contractor and if they their claims were true, they should come up with documents to prove their claims.
This is the second time in 3 weeks that this group of local contractors in the state would be taking to the streets of Owerri in a peaceful protest calling on the State government to pay them for jobs executed in the State.
This time around the protest took another dimension as the group gathered on major streets in Owerri to hold a special prayer session.
While speaking to Channels Television, members of the group however, expressed regret over what they described as neglect and marginalization by the government on the part of contractors in the State who had executed various jobs but have not been paid by the State government.
However, the state government described these claims as malicious and a smear campaign against the Okorocha led administration who has done well in developing the State.
The state government called the group for a meeting at the Heroes Square in presence of the Local Government Officers in charge of projects, Commissioner of Police and other security operatives in a bid to find solution to the lingering issue.
While addressing the gathering, the Chief of Staff to the Imo State governor, Sir Jude Ejiogu, who represented the Governor, said the contractors should submit their documents for verification but Mr Udogadi Ononiwu, the chairman of the Unpaid Imo Contractors declined.
The meeting however, turned into a rowdy session as arguments lingered. It took the intervention of representatives from the Commissioner of Police to calm the situation down.
Both parties finally agreed to reschedule in 4 days time after the contract documents have been verified by the State government. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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political unpaid imo contractors, pls dont present documents t show tht u are being owed, organise more prayer sessions, afterall we are in lent. Unpaid imo contractors lenten retreat. ...Lol
ReplyDeleteWhich document? Does Rochas govt give document in its job execution? Which contractor can show a piece of paper as document for any job? It is a deliberate ploy by this govt to hoodwink the citizens while inflating the costs of these jobs. I am talking from experience so let no politically biased fellow contest it. Rochas came to supervise my friend,s internal city gate project and two weeks later denied publicly that he ddnt know anything about such gates. The government has not finished any 100% payment on any project in imo state. He has a penchant of withholding the last tranch of payments of contractors. It is very unfair and many contractors are dead from high blood pressure while many are living in penury and hiding from banks from which they borrowed money to execute these projects. My heart bleeds for these fellows.
ReplyDeleteIt is so foolish of the contractors to enter into a contract with the govt without documentation. I don't believe their(contractors) stories. It is political but if their story is true, then they are quacks because I can't imagine a contractor who enters into a contract without a written modality of payment(documentation).
DeleteTheir money has been used for what?
ReplyDelete