Governor Mohammed Umar Bago of Niger State has frozen contractor payments in his state while calling out several government departments and contractors for alleged corruption and poor handling of infrastructure projects.
In a video currently making rounds online, Governor Bago strongly criticized the Ministry of Works, the New Niger Development Company, and hired consultants for failing to provide truthful updates and for enabling substandard execution of projects.
“I want to first rebuke the consultants, the Ministry of Work, and the New Niger Development company for their sharp practices and lackadaisical attitude for not reporting the right thing on the ongoing projects in the state,” the governor said.
He explained that disbursement of funds had been halted due to these irregularities, noting that while some contractors had completed their tasks efficiently, others were falling short on even the most basic elements like drainage work.
“Some are performing superlative while some are performing very decimally,” he stated.
The governor also implied that certain contractors were attempting to bypass proper procedures.
“Some of you have your Certificate of Verification (CV) in the banks, I stopped it because I am not satisfied,” he added.
He affirmed that only contractors deemed competent will receive payments moving forward.
“At my own discretion, I will approve for those I think have the capacity to continue, you will get your payment,” Bago warned.
He concluded by insisting that the Ministry of Works cannot authorize payments without thorough checks, vowing tighter financial scrutiny.