COVID-19 PPE Contractors: FCTA restates commitment to pay outstanding debts

Authorities of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has reaffirmed its commitment to pay all outstanding debts owed to contractors who supplied various Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the territory

The FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, who refuted claims that the delay in payment was deliberate made this known while addressing aggrieved contractors yet to be paid for jobs executed for the administration.

Mr Adesola, appealed to the contractors to exercise patience, explaining that despite the challenges of funding, the administration has paid 109 contractors who supplied Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) and 54 contractors in other Secretariats, Departments and Agencies (SDAs).

The Permanent Secretary who hinged the delay in payments to dwindling internal revenue generation and expected funds from the federal government also expressed optimism that the contractors would be paid as soon as possible.

He stressed that the procurement for COVID-19 supplies cut across all the SDAs including Water Board, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Federal Capital Development Authority, Social Development Secretariat, Education Secretariat amongst others.

“We are making serious efforts in ensuring that we get the expected funds from the federal government, and we are also ensuring that we up-scale our Internal Revenue Generation (IGR) to enable us to offset our liabilities. I want to assure you that all our contractors will be paid soon.“

It would be recalled that a team of contractors who supplied Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Administration has last week staged a protest at the Minister block calling on the Permanent Secretary to pay them their outstanding debt owed by the administration.

The group also continued with the protest in the early hours of Monday morning where they matched in their number chanting solidarity song demanding for the immediate payment of their money

They said the protest became necessary as the money was long overdue, alleging that, it was a deliberate attempt by the administration not to pay them the outstanding debts.

PIAK