‘Zamfara owes UBE contractors N500m’

Contractors who executed various projects for the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education (UBE) Board in 2009/2010, said yesterday that they were  yet to be paid the over N500 million owed them.
The group under the aegis of Association of UBE Contractors in Zamfara State told Daily Trust in Kaduna that for six years they had been working hard to get their money, but to no avail. They accused the government of insensitivity.
Speaking on behalf of the association, the secretary, Abdullahi Nakura, said, “The Zamfara State Universal Basic Education (UBE) Board contracts were duly and genuinely awarded by the administration of the former governor, Mahmud Aliyu Shinkafi. The projects have since been completed and handed over to the government and are currently in use. We appeal to the federal government and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) headquarters in Abuja, to intervene in the matter.
“We sent our complaints to Zamfara State Assembly, UBEC head office, the EFCC and even the state public complaints commission, but the governor refused to pay us our money. This has caused us serious hardship financially. We solicit the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari so that we can be paid,” the group paid.
When contacted, the Secretary of Zamfara UBE Board, Halliru Yakubu Bakura, said the Public Relations Officer of the board is the one with details relating to the contractors’ payment.
He however said the state government is handling the matter and that everything is being done to ensure that the contractors are paid.