News

FCTA Local Contractors Protest Non-payment Of N5.2bn Bills

Published

4 months ago

August 18, 2025

Local contractors in the FCT staged a protest at the minister’s gate on Monday to protest the non-payment of contract sums, allegedly totalling about N5bn over a period of two years.

Some of the contractors who spoke to our correspondent said individuals’ debts owed ran into millions, while appealing to the minister to interface directly with them to gain a better understanding of their demands.

“The thing is that we’ve done jobs with the FCT over the years. When the minister came, he paid us some. Most of our liability presently are from the present administration. But we have not been paid for almost two years now,” one of the contractors, Okeke Benardine, told The PUNCH.

“And if you look there, those are some of the ACs I installed. Some of the offices, I did inverters, I did borehole. And all we are doing is begging the minister. We don’t know the problem; he should just pay us. That is the essence of all this.

“Some other people did some jobs with AMMC. Most of my work is with Education and RUWASSA. Some did maintenance with Water Board, some Health. We don’t know why they are not paying us,” he added.

Asked how much the FCTA owed the contractors, Bernadine said, “So the bill we have here is N5.2bn. Roughly, I am owed about N270 million. I have met one or two people who said their bills are not here, so I am sure it’s more than N5.2bn. I know some of our members are saying their bill is before 2023. But I can assure you that 70 per cent of the bill is from 2023.”

Another contractor, Adebola Benson, alleged that he had been arrested over the issue, after sending a text to the FCT Minister to ask why the payments were yet to be made.

“Like in my own case, I was arrested because of this matter, because I sent him a text, asking why we are having this issue. And the next thing I saw was a Police officer calling me. So, my job was investigated. And I think the Police reported back to him. But I do not know why the Police did that,” he stated.

He appealed to the minister to listen to the demands of the contractors, stating, “We are begging him to do what he can do to make sure this money is being paid. My personal money is in millions. I can’t disclose the total sum, but it’s in millions.”

“So, we want the situation where he will listen to us directly, not from people who are around him. We want him to talk to us one-on-one. Let us know what the problem is, and why he is not paying,” he added.

Some of the contractors held placards that read, “Hon Minister Wike, please kindly authorise our payment. We can hardly take care of our families,” and “Hon Minister Wike, please extend your kindness to us by authorising indigenous contractors’ payment,” among others.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has dismissed claims that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike awarded contracts worth N5 billion to local contractors.

In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said no such contracts were issued by the Minister.

“No contract was awarded to any of the local contractors by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. If they have documents showing the award of contracts by the Minister, they should produce them,” Olayinka stated.

He explained that what Wike inherited were outstanding bills from previous administrations, totalling N10bn, which had been paid in two tranches of payments, and not fresh contracts.

“In December 2023, a bill of about N10 billion was presented to the Minister as outstanding payment on jobs done by local contractors before he assumed office. They called it ‘Shopping’ or Minor Procurement.

“The same December 2023, payment of over N5 billion was approved by the Minister, and this was made immediately. In January 2024, another more than N5 billion was paid, clearing the over N10 billion outstanding bills,” he said.

Olayinka noted that three months later, another set of contractors surfaced with fresh claims amounting to N15 billion, raising questions from the Minister himself.

The media further questioned the changing figures being put forward by the contractors. “From N15 billion to N8 billion and now N5 billion, the question is, on whose authority was the contracts awarded? Those are the questions they have to answer first,” Olayinka stressed.

The FCTA maintained that while Wike has honoured inherited debts, he has not issued new contracts under the disputed “minor procurement” arrangement.

News

Court Dissolves Petitioner’s Marriage Over Lack Of Love, Care

Published

3 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

An Area Court sitting at Centre-Igboro, Ilorin in Kwara State, on Thursday, dissolved the four-year-old marriage between Aminat Mustapha and Wahab Adeshina, following the petitioner’s insistence.

The petitioner told the court that she was no longer interested in her marriage to her husband following claims of lack of love and care.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), while delivering ruling, the presiding judge, Mr Toyin Aluko, held that the respondent had written to the court, accepting the divorce application made by his wife.

Aluko, consequently, dissolved the marriage between the parties, and ordered the woman to observe one month iddah (waiting period) before she could remarry.

Meanwhile, the court granted custody of the two children in the marriage, ages one and three, to their mother.

He ordered the father to pay a monthly sum of N20,000 for the children’s feeding and maintenance.

The court also held that the respondent will be responsible for their education and healthcare.

Again, the court held that the father has unrestricted access to his children, but at reasonable time adding that he should be notified before any decision is taken on his children.

The judge ordered the petitioner to get a copy of the judgment and send same to the respondent.

News

Tinubu Embarks On Three-state Visit

Published

3 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja on Saturday on a working visit to Borno, Bauchi and Lagos.

This is contained in a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, on Friday in Abuja.

While in Borno, the President will commission projects executed by the Borno State Government under Gov. Babagana Zulum, in collaboration with the Federal Government.

He will also attend the wedding ceremony of Sadeeq Sheriff, son of former Borno Governor, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, and his bride, Hadiza Kam Salem.

From Maiduguri, Tinubu will proceed to Bauchi State to condole with the state government and the family of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, the renowned Islamic cleric and leader of the Tijjaniyya Muslim Brotherhood.

Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi died on Nov. 27.

After the condolence visit, the President will travel to Lagos, where he will spend the end-of-year holidays.

During his stay in Lagos, Tinubu is expected to attend several engagements, including the Eyo Festival scheduled for Dec. 27.

The festival, to be held at Tafawa Balewa Square, will honour notable personalities, including the President’s late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, former Lagos State governors Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Chief Michael Otedola.

News

My Wife Dented My Image, Took Our Marital Crises To Radio Stations — Husband

Published

4 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Editor

…He ran away from home after I was delivered of twins —Wife

Grade A Customary Court sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has ruled that a couple, Folaji and Ifedayo should go their different ways after it pronounced their marriage dissolved.

The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo, who gave the judgment, stated that this was imperative to dissolve the marriage for peace to reign.

The plaintiff, Folaji, who dragged his wife to court, accused her of not loving him, always fighting him, and sometimes displaying violence.

Folaji explained that the root of their differences was Ifedayo’s bias for his mode of worship.

According to the plaintiff, he attends a white garment church, which mode of worship the defendant abhors and therefore refused to attend services with him.

Folaji also said that Ifedayo concealed from him the fact that she was suffering from a particular ailment, which he became aware of after she was advised at the hospital to carry out series of tests.

Folaji stated that the differences between him and his wife degenerated to the level that he became a regular face at the police station and also at radio stations, where his wife took their matters to.

The plaintiff told the court that the defendant had done a lot of damage to his image, and thus prayed the court to put an end to their relationship so that he could pick up the pieces of his life.

The plaintiff sought easy access to their children and promised to give them feeding allowance weekly.

He further requested an order restraining his wife from threatening him and from interfering with his private life.

Ifedayo, in her response, agreed that their union be dissolved.

She stated that her husband was inhumane and that he packed out of their house before she was discharged from the hospital after she put to bed a set of twins.

The defendant further said that the plaintiff had never visited her and their children since he walked out of their marriage.

According to her, her husband sent her N20,000 through his counsel after he dragged her to court, but that she declined it because it was a ridiculous amount to feed a set of twins.

Folaji, in his testimony, said: “My lord, my wife, and I had a proper wedding, and I paid her bride price.

“I expected my wife to be submissive to me and do my binding, but the reverse is the case.

“My wife is stubborn and troublesome.

“She swore never to attend my church because it’s a white garment church and that she loathes our way of worship.

“The more I encouraged her to attend, the more she kept her distance.

“She later reluctantly agreed to attend service once a month.

“My wife is secretive. She hid from me for years the fact that she was nursing an ailment. I only became aware of this when the doctor confirmed it after she went through a series of tests when she took ill.

“My wife, rather than being remorseful, decided to make life tough for me.

“She became troublesome and never ceased to fight me.

“She is violent and always hit and harmed me with any dangerous objects within her reach.

“We always dragged ourselves to the police station where we became a regular face.

“My wife, determined to dent my image, took our issues to radio stations where I was invited and our differences were aired.

“I walked out of our marriage when I could no longer tolerate my wife’s misbehaviour.

“She reported me again at the welfare office and, after mediating in our differences, I was asked to provide her with foodstuff and not money, which I did on a regular basis.

“But she has insisted that I would not have rest of mind.

“I pray this court to dissolve our marriage and grant me free access to our children. I promise to make provision for their upkeep on a weekly basis.

“I further request an order restraining my wife from threatening and interfering with my private life.”

Ifedayo, in her response, said: “I agree that our marriage be dissolved. My husband is inhumane and has no conscience, which were the causes of the crisis we experienced in our marriage.

“I was admitted in the hospital to be delivered of our set of twins, but I returned to meet an empty house. My husband deserted me and our newborn children.

“He never checked on them nor gave anything for their upkeep. He only gave them N20,000 of recent through his counsel after he came to court.

“I rejected the money because such an amount can not feed sufficiently two children of their age, not to mention other needs.

“I plead that the court grant me custody of our children and make my husband responsible for their upkeep.

“I want him to give attention to their feeding and pay their school fees as and when due.

“He should likewise be available any time they need medical attention.”

Giving her judgment, Mrs Akintayo said although both had a valid customary marriage and bride price was paid, the court had no choice than to grant their prayers of divorce since they now express their disinterest in it.

Akintayo ruled that they were no longer husband and wife.

She granted custody of their children to the defendant, stating that they were still minors in need of motherly care.

The defendant was granted access to their children on a weekly basis while he was ordered to be responsible for their welfare.