The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed its commitment to pay all outstanding liabilities owed contractors who supplied various items during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The FCTA Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, gave the assurance in Abuja on Monday while addressing contractors yet to be paid for jobs executed for the administration during the period.
Adesola, who appealed to the contractors to exercise patience, however, revealed that in spite of funding challenges, the administration had paid 109 contractors for supplying Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS).
He also disclosed that FCTA had paid 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, 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 fund from the Federal Government and we are also ensuring that we up-scale our Internal Revenue Generation (IGR) to enable us offset our liabilities.
“I want to assure you that all our contractors will be paid soon,” he said.
Earlier, one of the contractors, Mr Emmanuel Nwachendu, alleged that the administration had in the contract agreement promised to pay two weeks after the supply.
“They said once you supply bring your invoice and you will be paid.
“This is one year running, yet nothing. The administration has been paying some of the contractors and refused to pay others,” he said.
Nwachendu said that most of the contractors had supplied various medical equipment and personal protective equipment and other things used in containing the pandemic.
“What we heard initially was that procurement processes was suspended and the money was supposed to have been paid within two weeks; maximum one month of supply.
“Some of us took loans to be able to meet up with the supply,” he said. (NAN)
