By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

Local contractors in the FCT staged a protest at the minister’s gate yesterday 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 liabilities presently are from the present administration. But we have not been paid for almost two years now,” one of the contractors, Okeke Benardine said.“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 the 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 were 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.

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency is to commence a campaign for vaccination of children against Measles Rubella from October 4 to 13 this year.

The Executive Director of the Agency, Dr. Musa Muazu disclosed this at a one day media orientation forum held for selected media organisations in Lokoja on Monday.

The Executive Director who was represented by his Deputy Director, Administration, Mallam Musa Bashir, hinted that Measles Rubella also known as German Measles is meant for children between nine months and fourteen years.

Dr. Muazu said that the essence of the one day media engagement is to acquaint journalists with relevant information about Measles Rubella that would enhance effective awareness creation and enlightenment of citizens down to the grass-roots on the preventive campaign.

According to the Executive Director, the preventive Measles Rubella vaccination campaign is expected to be carried out in the 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi state at designated posts such as palaces of traditional rulers, market places and motor parks.

“However, after the October campaign, Measles Rubella vaccination would now return to our normal immunization routine” Dr. Muazu explained

He then called on parents across the 21 local government areas of the state to make their children available in their large numbers for the preventive vaccination against the dreaded disease.

He stressed that the media partnership would no doubt give adequate publicity that would facilitate huge success of the preventive vaccination campaign project

Dr. Abdulrahman Hudu of UNICEF had earlier briefed participants during the orientation gathering that Measles Rubella is a respiratory illness which can be contracted through transmission, airborne and direct contact

He explained that Measles Rubella which is also called German Measles is a little bit different from the normal measles saying that the only way to tackle the disease is through preventive measures of vaccines application since it is not curable.

He further explained that the virus could be tackled through 95% preventable vaccination

“Symptoms and hazards of measles or measles rubella includes; skin rashes, running nose, fever, brain damage, cough, blindness and death” Dr. Hudu enumerated

Shittu Momoh, State Vaccine Mobilization Officer, said that the media has a greater role to play in dissemination of information about routine immunization and urged the participants to take the project very seriously.

He reiterated the determination of the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency to strengthen health services in the state through advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders and sensitisation of citizens to embrace attitudinal spirit geared towards complementing government’s efforts to achieve the laudable goal.

By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board has commenced the registration of intending pilgrims for the 2026 Hajj exercise.The Director of the Board, Alhaji Kadiri Edah, who disclosed this at a meeting in Abuja said Intending Pilgrims who wish to participate in the exercise through the board are to deposit a minimum of N8.

5 million only to book for a seat with the Board. Kadiri Edah said prospective pilgrims are to book for the seat via a bank draft from any commercial bank payable to the FCT Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, Abuja before 2nd of December 2025.According to the Director, the draft and the international passport of the intending pilgrims should be submitted to officials of the Board at any of the six area councils of the territory before the deadline.The Director warned that only bank drafts would be entertained as no cash payment is allowed while registration is on first-come–first–served basis in line with the principle of fairness in the services of residents of the territory.He advised Intending Pilgrims who have made deposits and could not participate in previous hajj exercises and still have their money with the Board are to declare their intention to the board before the deadline so as to book for a seat in the forthcoming hajj exercise.He said that the Board has resolved to redouble its effort in improving services to the registered Intending Pilgrims through the new strategies introduced for the forthcoming Hajj exercise.The Director advised intending pilgrims to deal with the Board directly and avoid any deceit from any third party requesting for additional payment outside the hajj fare which is a complete package for the exercise fixed by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).