The Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Prof Femi Akinwumi, has debunked reports that the Board is owing contractors engaged in the UBEC/SUBEB projects for years 2020, 2021 and 2022 interventions.
Akinwumi spoke in Ado Ekiti while reacting to allegations of unpaid contracts by one Elder Ajibade Olufemi.
He said the Board had since balanced the payments of contractors over the UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects executed within the concerned period.
Olufemi had accused the SUBEB chairman of withholding payment to some contractors.
He said the contractors are therefore planning a protest against the state government for refusing to settle their outstanding payments.
According to him, “Many of us received buildings and renovation contracts in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Today the payments we have received are far from what we have invested in those projects.”
In response to the allegations, Akinwumi said, “I am bold to say it anywhere without fear of contradiction that we are not owing any contractor a dime.
“All contractors engaged in the execution of 2020,2921 and 2022 UBEC/SUBEB intervention projects have been fully paid. The 2023 projects are under way and that of 2024 will soon commence as Governor Oyebanji had already paid the counterpart funds of over N3.5 billion for the projects.
“If there is anyone claiming he was yet to be paid, let him be bold to confront me and prove it by mentioning his company’s name rather than going on social media to propagate false allegations, because as far as I know, we are not owing any contractor.”