The Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to paying all outstanding debts owed to contractors that have already completed a number of contracts awarded by the council’s immediate past administration.
The Chairman gave this guarantee to angry contractors who had not yet been paid for work completed under the previous administration.
In spite of the budget issues, Maikalangu stated that the government had given the contractors one month’s salary from the just ended administration, and he pleaded with them to be patient.
The Chairman expressed confidence that the contractors will receive payment as soon as feasible while attributing the delay to declining internal income collection and anticipated money from the federal government.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant, Media And Public Affairs , Mr Kingsley Madaki stated that: “It will be unfair for your money to be tied down somewhere for number of years.
“As you all know this is a new administration. I resumed office on the 14th of June 2022, so I felt that we should invite all the contractors owned
by the previous administration so we can know ourselves. You have worked for the council and you deserve your payment.
“But also I want you to have it at the back of your mind that very soon we will call you on a proper inspection of all the projects you said you have have completed. We are going focused on projects that has reached 100 percent completion.
“Let the truth be told we may not pay all. Don’t expect us to perform magic from us, because all the necessary findings must be done before any payment. Most of the debt is traced to 2016 to 2019. Government is a continuous we want to assure you that we will gradually pay it”
He assured; “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 offset our liabilities. I want to assure you that all our contractors will be paid soon”. He said.
While thanking the the Chairman on his promises to offset the debt owned by the previous administration, Engr. Bello Shafiw the Managing Director of Christal Love AND TINA Nigeria LTD, said the audience given by the new council Chairman was a huge step in the right direction.
“With this kind of Chairman in the leadership of the council, the residents should be rest assured that things will work well for good. We didn’t expect to call us or have any interest in paying a debt he didn’t acquire. Most of us have lost hope since, but with this assurance we have gotten here today our hope is revived already. Some of us are being owed for years after the completion of jobs. We have been asking and nobody answered us but thank God for the answer we have gotten from this present administration” he said.
