Nasarawa State House of Assembly has invited the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank PLC, to come and explain to the House in details why the payment of contractors handling SUBEB projects in the state are not paid .
Hon. Daniel Ogazi, the Chairman House Committee on Education stated this when the management of Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board appeared for its 2021 Budget assessment today in Lafia.
Hon. Ogazi, who is the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, lamented that the house is worried with numbers of petitions it is receiving from contractors handling SUBEB projects in the state over non payment of their money.
” After many of them have completed their Work with others having their work reaching various stages of completion.
“Many of the contractors collected loans, some collected personal loan from individuals where they are to pay back 20% interest monthly aside the increase cost of construction materials in the market on daily basis.
“Many of these constructions have reached different stages of completion and the work have stopped and with raining season now affecting the structures.
“The bank action has also put the state in bad image before the world, that it did not paid it contractors not knowing that the fault is from the bank who have decided on the reasons best know to them to keep our money.
” And be making high profits from it on the detriment of the government and the people of the state.”
” It is on this note that we are inviting the MD/CEO of Access Bank to appear before the House on Wednesday, 8th September, 2021, to explain to us in details what is happening with the state money in their custody,”
” We have paid our counterpart funds as a state, the money has been lodged in the bank why are they keeping it unnecessary subjecting the state and contractors to hardship, leaving our school structures in bad shapes and now rain is destroying them.
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“I want to call on contractors to be patient, the House will protect their interest and their money is guaranteed ” he said.
Earlier, the state SUBEB chairman, Mohammed Musa Dan’azumi explained in details the budget performance of the board and its challenges especially the non payment of contractors by Access Bank.
Nasarawa Speaker Condoles family of late Dr Zakari Lokogoma, an APC Stalwart.
He said the Governor has earlier intervene on the matter where the bank released about N500million and stopped.
In another development, the House Committee on Education has lamented on the proliferation of private schools in the state, calling on the state ministry of education to as a matter of urgency do something to ensure that it address the ugly trend.
Chairman of the committee, Daniel Ogazi stated this when the permanent secretary of the ministry, Mohammed Sani Bala appeared before the committee for budget assessment.
