No fewer than 19 unpaid contractors of Imo
origin have reportedly died, following the non-payment of their entitlements
from jobs thy executed for Imo State Government.
Disclosing this to newsmen after a peacefully
processing yesterday through Owerri’s major streets, the Public Relations
Officer, PRO, of Unpaid Imo Contractors, U-PIC, Comrade Emenike Uzor, also
lamented that some of them can no longer take proper care of their family
responsibilities.
“The unpaid contractors are Imolites. We ought
to be treated like citizens of the state. Government had better realized that
we also have voting strength to join in determining who becomes the next Imo
State governor”, Uzor said.
Speaking also, one of the leaders of the
group, Rev. Udogadi Ononiwu, said the Rochas Okorocha administration was owing
them a staggering N180 billion for jobs done.
While describing Okorocha’s action as “most
devastating and life threatening”, Rev. Ononiwu however denied that the
demonstration was politically motivated.
“Our action has nothing to do with politics.
For anybody to say that our action is politically motivated is akin to flogging
a child and asking him not to cry. So far, it is clear that government has no
plans to ameliorate our difficulties”, Rev. Ononiwu said.
Answering another question, the group’s leader
recalled that government had made uncountable promises in the past, on when to
pay their entitlements but regretting that such promises have remained a mirage
till date.
- Vanguard
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