Aggrieved contractors on Thursday staged a protest at the Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government over alleged unpaid debts running into over N30 billion for projects they claim were executed across the state since 2023 under the administration of Governor Uba Sani.
The contractors, joined by civil society groups and activist Comrade Daniel Ejembi of Eagle Brain, gathered at the ministry headquarters to demand payment for completed projects reportedly spread across all 23 local government areas of Kaduna State.
However, the protest was disrupted when security operatives prevented the group from entering the premises, reportedly acting on directives said to be “from above,” according to eyewitness accounts.
The demonstrators accused the state government of failing to fulfil financial commitments, despite repeated assurances that payments would be made. Many of them claimed they had taken loans to execute the contracts and were now facing severe financial hardship due to the delay.
They described the situation as unfair and alleged that they were being treated with hostility despite delivering on their contractual obligations.
Speaking during the protest, Ejembi criticised the government’s response to the issue, calling for urgent action to address the contractors’ demands and warning against further escalation of tensions.
The protesters insisted they had completed all required work but were yet to receive payment, adding that continued silence from the authorities could force them into further action.
Efforts to obtain responses from the Kaduna State Ministry of Local Government and other relevant officials were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
