Waste disposal contractors within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, to intervene within the decision of excellent seven-month cost arrears owed to over 300 staff throughout varied Space Councils.
The contractors, who function underneath the auspices of the Waste Disposal Contractors Discussion board, held a press briefing on Wednesday to voice their considerations.
The leaders of the discussion board defined that their contracts started in April 2022 and have been set for 3 years and that as they close to the completion of their assignments, they discovered themselves in an more and more precarious scenario.
One of many leaders, Mr John Okafor, highlighted the urgency of the matter. “As of now, that is the seventh month working with out cost. Waste administration providers are capital-intensive. We spend cash on diesel, servicing our tools, paying salaries, and different logistics. But, for the previous seven months, we’ve not acquired any cost.
“We’ve got written to the Honourable Minister, however we have no idea the place the problem lies. We’ve got been involved with the Satellite tv for pc City Improvement Division, our supervisory company, however they hold saying they’re on it, that the minister has not but accepted cost, and this has put us in a really tight scenario.
“We’ve got documentation and images proving that our groups are on websites and actively working. If there are considerations about our efficiency, we’re desperate to make clear them.
“As of December, our staff throughout the six space councils have been on us for funds. They needed to have fun the festivities with out cash, and we have been deeply pained. Our lenders have additionally stopped extending credit score to us as a result of they are saying we’ve not been in a position to repay as beforehand agreed,” he stated.
Okafor made a heartfelt enchantment to Wike. “We’re begging the Honourable Minister to graciously attend to our pressing plea. This isn’t only for our sake however for the over 300 staff who rely on these funds.”
One other chief, Alhaji Mohamed Bala, expressed the gravity of the scenario. “Waste administration is a practical train; if we don’t evacuate waste, it’s going to accumulate. We’ve got footage and GPS information to confirm our work from July till now.
“The scope of our work extends past routine waste assortment. We’re mandated to help native governments that lack sufficient waste administration providers. But we can’t proceed doing this with out well timed funds,” he lamented.
Bala reiterated the contractors’ dedication to their duties, stating, “We’re working actively throughout 23 completely different areas within the six space councils. We’re not ready for native governments to take motion; we’re right here as intervenors. However for native governments to go away all waste administration duties to us is unfair.”
The contractors asserted their readiness to supply proof of their work and their areas to dispel any misinformation relating to the effectiveness of their providers.
