It was no doubt, a session of sober reflection as contractors of Ideato South extraction have threatened a show down with Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha for owing them huge sum of money for contracts already done at the secretariat.
The contractors, who expressed dissatisfaction with the Governor’s refusal to pay them, decided to hold a peaceful demonstration at the Ideato South Council
Headquarters, Dikenafai on Monday 5th May 2014 and called on the state Governor to pay them without further delay.
The contractors reflected with nostalgia the unprecedented height of injustice meted on them for the past two years of executing and completion of the contracts. The aggrieved contractors insisted on peaceful protest to press the huge amount owed them by the Governor having made several applications for settlement of contract bills owned to them for the period 2011 and 2012.
The contractors lamented the jobs which where honestly meant to assist them said they financially have inadvertently put them in trouble. Most of them borrowed from banks individuals to fund the projects but because they were not paid or fully paid, cannot afford to repay their creditors/bank. “Our lending banks have impounded our collaterals and auctioned them. Some, their houses, vehicles and other priced and properties. We are now in dilemma as to how to recover the money we put into the contracts and how to pay our lending banks creditors, including the enormous interest our debts have generated. We are therefore appealing to your Excellency to intervene in this regard by approving the settlement of the contract debts to us. We are your brothers who contributed in different ways to ensure your victory during 2011 election”.
One of the contractors who spoke to our reporter fisamnig enterprises who is the contractor that handled the 2 Km Bsc/Ugbele road Ideato South said that even though the Executive Governor has approved his payment since 2012 till date he has not received the approved N11.5Million value of work done and N24million advanced payment guarantee (APG) which was approved and duly signed for him by the Executive Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha and his Excos since 2012 is yet to be paid.
The protesters numbering up to 30 and some angry laborers and sub-contractors numbering up to 50 displayed some placards with inscriptions reading, Owelle
Rochas please release our money. Enough is enough. Is Ideato south
Council not part of the Rescue Mission? Ideato South Council what
Have we done to deserve this punishment? Who is fooling who?
Three years of work without payments. Please pay for jobs done, we
Are not beggers, we need our money now; we are dying. Please clean up
The house now to avoid a boomerang effect, 2015 is staring all of
You in the face, pay your debts now!!!
Responding, the T.C Chairman Hon. Job Ijeoma commend the contractors for the peaceful way and manner they conducted themselves during the protest and assured them that Government will wade into the matter in order to find an amicable solution to the problem
In a chart with one of the protesters, he revealed that in the heat of the protests, Government Agents reverted to Coercion Intimidating phone calls and some what victimization for the some of the contractors in order to stop them from going to the press. They even dangled juicy job offers to sway the minds of some moles and divide the group.
