As Minister, George Akume, Permanent Secretary ,Other Senior Officers Feign Awareness,Contractors Appeals To President Buhari To Intervene Using EFCC/ICPC, OBSERVERS TIMES report.
For many years, contractors and suppliers under the Ministry for Special Duties, office of the Secretary to the Goverrment of the Federation(OSGF),has raised alarm over outstanding services and non payment for jobs executed in the Ministry over the years, ranging from 4 years to 5 years running into billions of Naira after jobs were executed.
They however appeal to the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a high powered inquiry in collaboration with the anti corruption agencies,the EFCC and ICPC to unravel the non payment of backlog of contractors claims.
It was confirmed that the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning as well as Budget office alleged that funds meant for contractors of jobs executed in the last five years was released to all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies on behalf of the Federal Government,but was trapped in the Ministry.
The Special Duties Ministry keep awardimg new projects year in year out without payment to contractors who have executed projects in the Ministry, through loans and advances from Banks,and financial institutions with interest accrual on the exposure.
The Banks and contractors are already at loggerhead on how to recover their funds released for short term arrangement but span for five years,as most of the contractors are now indebted to Banks and other money Banks.
It was revealed that some of the contractors out of frustration and pressure have died as a result of the refusal of the Special Duties office to pay up their money,while others have reverted to beggars with no source of livelihood.
It became worrisome since the outbreak of the Corona virus that had led to closure of virtually all goverrment offices,exposing the contractors to alot hazards.
A visit to the Ministry to seek audience by the media men with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry,the Minister,George Akume and Director of Finance and Adminstration(DAF), does not yield any positive results,as they all blatantly declined to grant audience to Journalists, under the guise of tight schedule, or deliberately shying away from media coverage.
However,efforts to seek audience with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry who is the accounting officer was met with resistance,an indication that they are on the same page with the Minister not to release the funds.
The Ministry on the advise of the Minister and the Permanent Secretary according the reports continue to award new contracts despite the huge debt incurred in the past, with no visible efforts to pay the contractors.
It was reliably gathered that the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry debriefed and briefed the new Minister on assumption of duty ten months ago about the Ministry’s liabilities and financial obligations to contractors,but they are only interested in new jobs,where their interest can be build in for kick backs.
Experience have also show the frustration of major and minor contractors of the Ministry,because of deliberate refusal of the Permanent Secretary to approve the release of funds under the guise of lack of funds.
Some staffers of the Ministry who does not want their names in print, confirmed the frustration of contractors as always deliberate by the top officials,to pave way for diversion of contractors funds,a system being legendary praticed in the Department.
An interview with some of the contractors with various contract sums ranging from 80 million,50 million,40 million and 30 million respectively but preferred their names out of print,confirmed their frustrations in the last five years.
They however used the opportunity to appeal to the Secretary to the Goverrment of the Federation,Alhaji Mustspha Boss, Minister For Special Duties,Senator George Akume,The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry to review the decision and make payments without further delay.
Some of the contractors threatened to take legal action having met their obligations as part of their contractual agreements for years,OBSERVERS TIMES learnt but funds were allegedly diverted by officials of the Ministry when it was a Department.
They also threatened to intimate the anti graft agencies like the EFCC/ICPC with a well articulated petition against the top management of the Special Duties Ministry, to ensure payments is made for job executed some years ago and funds released.
