Abuja/Kaduna Railway Fencing: Contractors demand payment for completed project

A group of contractors under the aegis of Abuja-Kaduna Railway Fencing sub Contrators Association, have demanded immediate payment of their money for the contract they executive for Deux Project Limited.

Deux Project Limited, a company, was said to have awarded the fencing of Abuja to Kaduna Railway track to this set of contractors in 2018 through the company Managing Director, Dr Kayode Olowolafe.

The spokeman of the goup, Mr Onyeka Enechukwu, at a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday stated that the fencing contract was awarded to the contractors at the sum of 500 million naira in 2018.

He said that the project was started in 2018 and was completed in 2019, adding that, after the completion of the job, it was valued by officials of the Federal Government.

Enechukwu alleged that the sum total of the money for the contract had been paid to the company Managing Director, but had refused to pay the contractors all their money.

“We fenced the Abuja/Kaduna railway, since 2018, no money was paid to us until August when part of the money was paid.

“The payment of 20 per cent of this money amounting to 86 million came after we have written a letter against the company address to the then Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi.

“The job wẹ did was valued by the FG, and it paid the company for the job, 100 per cent payment was given to the company. The company refused to pay us since 2018 until two months ago as a result of protest.

“We carried out protest at the company Mabushi office before 20 per cent (86 million naira) was paid in August, and the company promised to pay us two weeks after the remaining part of the money.

“All effort to get our money has proved abortive, we are appealing to well meaning Nigerians particularly President Muhamadu Buhari, the current Minister of transport to intervene in this matter.

“Most of our contractors borrowed money from the bank fo invest and execute this job, we want the President Buhari and Minister of transport to call Olowolafe to order,” he said.

Mrs Pat Momoh, a member of the contractors, noted that in the course of the struggle to get their money, two of their members have died, while to others have paralysed.

She appealed to the Federal Government to come to their rescue by prevailing on the Managing Director of Deux Project Limited.

Mr Daniel Orimolade, also a member of the group further said that some of the contractors who borrowed money from various financial institutions are currently in prison.

According to him, they are in prison since they had refused to pay back the money they borrowed from the lender to execute the contractors given to them by the company.

He appealed to the minister of transport to come to their rescue.

NewsDirect reports that the protesters carried placards with different inscriptions such as “pay us our money since 2018 till date.”

NewsDirect reports that the MD of the company did not pick his calls or reply to several text messages sent to him

Mr Ajibade, the Chief Security Officer to the company who doubled as the Personal Assistant to the MD told NewsDirecr that he is not authorised to speak for the company.