Contractors who executed road projects for the Imo State Government yesterday appealed to Governor Rochas Okorocha to pay up.
The contractors, under the aegis of Genuine Unpaid Imo Road Contractors, insisted they have met all necessary requirements, including the inspection and certification of jobs done by inspection teams of engineers and contract administrators of the state government.
In a statement signed by representatives of the group, Mr. Abdulkadir Ogirima, Jonathan Onyeukwu, Goddy Oparaku, Sir Anthony Nwafor and Eze Goddy Paul, the contractors disclosed that payment certificates on the executed road contracts were processed and forwarded in memoranda by the relevant ministry and committees to the office of the governor after necessary inspection.
“It is disheartening and, indeed, highly frustrating that the good gesture of contractors is not reciprocated but, rather, the payment obligation by the government within the contract has not been fulfilled for over two years till date,” the statement stated.
They disclosed that having taken loans running to millions of naira with high interest rates from commercial banks to execute roads construction, their properties have been confiscated by the banks leading to death and hospitalisation of some members.
“The non-payment of the contractors considering the high interests payable on the loans, has caused frustration, litigation from banks leading to loss of company properties as collateral to financial institutions, suffering of various degrees of trauma, outright death of some directors while some members who developed hypertension are still in hospital.”