Kaduna State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Sadiq Mamman Lagos, has dismissed claims that the ministry is indebted to contractors to the tune of over N30 billion, insisting that any aggrieved party should seek redress in court.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, Mamman Lagos maintained that the current administration has no contractual ties with the contractors making the allegations, describing the matter as a “pending issue” already under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Anybody that feels we are owing him should go to court. We don’t have any agreement with any contractor. Let them produce documents to show that we awarded them contracts and agreed to pay them,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the disputed contracts were linked to arrangements made under a previous administration, stressing that the present government did not award such contracts across the 23 local government areas.
“We are not part of whatever transaction they did with the previous administration. Yes, government is a continuum, but none of the 23 local governments under this administration awarded any contract of that nature,” he stated.
Mamman Lagos further clarified that neither the ministry nor any of the local governments issued award letters to the contractors in question.
“We didn’t issue any award letter, and none of the local governments under this administration issued any. So, we don’t have any transaction with them,” he added.
He referenced a company, Formal Act, allegedly linked to the claims, noting that the matter is currently being handled by the EFCC, with the principal suspect already in detention.
“It’s a pending issue with the EFCC. So, whatever grievances they have, they should channel it through the courts,” he said.
Reacting to reports that protesting contractors shut down the ministry, Lagos denied the claim, stating that security agencies were invited to maintain order.
“Nobody shut down the ministry. We called the police because we don’t want to take the law into our hands, and they were dispersed,” he said.
The commissioner also described allegations circulating on social media as “fake news,” urging the public to verify information before dissemination.
“You know how social media is; people spread fake news. Anyone with a genuine claim should go to court. That is the proper channel,” he said, while calling for stronger regulation of online platforms to curb misinformation.
He reiterated that the Kaduna State Government bears no liability for the alleged debt.
“We have no liability whatsoever. Let them go to court and prove their claims. That is our position,” he stressed.
Lagos, however, disclosed that the government had earlier attempted to mediate in the dispute but withdrew when the situation appeared to be turning into blackmail.
“We tried to intervene and find a way to assist, but when it started looking like blackmail, we stepped back. Let the court decide,” he added.
He noted that the ministry operates mainly as a supervisory body and does not directly award contracts, except in cases involving joint projects across local governments.
Meanwhile, contractors who staged a protest earlier in the week, alongside some civil society groups, alleged that projects worth over N30 billion executed across the state since 2023 remain unpaid.
“We have completed projects worth over N30 billion, yet no payment has been made. Many of us took loans to execute these contracts,” one of the contractors said.
