Abuja — The Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Peace and Good Governance has called for the immediate settlement of outstanding payments to contractors involved in the stalled Bwari Housing Project.
In a statement in Abuja on Sunday, Comrade Isa Yakubu, National Coordinator of the coalition, highlighted the severe impact of the delayed payments.
He noted that many contractors had taken out high-interest loans, using their properties as collateral, which are now at risk of confiscation. Additionally, some contractors have suffered serious health issues, while others have tragically lost their lives due to the stress and financial hardship caused by the delays.
The coalition has vowed to pursue legal action and stage protests if the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) fails to resolve the matter.
They said: "This project was awarded to various contractors in April 2022. However, work could not begin immediately as the site was not ready for construction. By the time work began, material and labour costs had surged. Despite these challenges and delays in payment, contractors remained committed to completing the project within the specified timeline.
"In February 2024, a new management team took over at the FHA. Since then, they have refused to honour any valuation or payment certificates, despite some buildings being completed and handed over as instructed by the current administration. Many contractors took bank loans at high interest rates, using their properties as collateral--now at risk of confiscation due to non-payment.
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"All efforts to secure payments have been met with silence. Our findings indicate that the FHA leadership has intentionally stalled the project, with plans to terminate it and reassign it to different contractors.
"As a result of these actions, contractors have abandoned the site, unable to continue work without receiving their dues. This project, which was meant to provide affordable housing, now stands abandoned due to decisions that prioritise other interests, despite available funds.
"Some contractors have suffered severe health issues and others have died due to stress and financial hardship caused by these delays. It has been suggested that those in charge have distanced themselves from responsibility, relying on the fact that they were not directly involved in awarding the contracts.
"While this project is left to deteriorate, the FHA has promoted new projects, raising concerns about the management of taxpayer money. We have sent three separate requests for a meeting with senior management to discuss these outstanding payments, but we have not received a response.
"As of today, no effort has been made to settle these outstanding debts to the contractors."
The group further called for an independent investigation into the agency's handling of the stalled project and its funds.
