By Our correspondent
Tension flared at the Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government today Thursday when contractors besieged the office demanding payment for executed projects were allegedly chased out of the premises by security personnel.
The contractors, reportedly joined by civil society groups and Comrade Daniel Ejembi, leader of Eagle Brain, Human Rights body, gathered at the ministry headquarters, said to be under Commissioner Sadiq Mammam Lagos, to protest non-payment of contracts executed across the 23 local government areas of the state. According to the aggrieved contractors, projects worth over N30 billion have been completed since 2023, yet no payments have been made despite “several failed promises” from the state government.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said security personnel stationed at the ministry resisted the contractors, stating they had received an “order from above” not to allow any of the contractors around the premises. The contractors decried what they described as “inhuman treatment and intimidations” from the Kaduna State Government. They noted that the prolonged delay in payment has caused severe hardship, with many unable to service loans taken to execute the projects.
Speaking in solidarity, Comrade Daniel Ejembi of Eagle Brain condemned the government’s handling of the matter, calling for urgent intervention to address the plight of the contractors. The contractors have vowed to “take the next line of action” to press for their payments, though details of their planned steps were not disclosed at the time of filing this report.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Local Government, Mammam Lagos, and other officials of the ministry for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.
