Over One thousand (1000) contractors who undertook various projects under the Government flagship program $1Million per Constituency have vowed not to vote in the upcoming December 2020 General Elections because they have not received any payment from Government on the various projects, they have constructed across the country.
According to the Contractors, the government’s inability to pay them their due has led to the loss of jobs and properties used as collateral by its members for bank loans and threatened not to vote in upcoming general elections.
"Contractors have struggled to meet their financial obligations to the banks, families and material creditors, among others" they added.
Speaking to journalists in an interview in Techiman, Bono East Regional capital, the Spokesperson of the Aggrieved Contractors, Nana Ampong opined that a lot of the said Contractors went for Loans at various financial institutions in which included some credit unions with high-interest rate thinking that their monies would have been paid earlier by government to have pay back their loans but to no avail.
“Workers have been laid off because we can’t pay them. The situation has also brought untold hardship on us, resulting in some losing their lives,” he added. Nana Ampong said the arrears have not been settled over a year since the submission of certificates for work done.
After these Financial Institutions heard the contractors have been paid by Government.
To this end, all the aggrieved Customers want their monies to be paid with immediate effect or else, they will follow the President; Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo with placards amid demonstrations anywhere he goes because they are been chased by their bankers for repayment of their loans.
Nana Ampong further stated that they undertake major projects under various Authorities such as Northern Development Authority, Middle Belt Development Authority and Coastal Development Authority which has supervised specific projects like Construction of 10 and 16 seater toilet facilities, Market Stores, Durbar grounds, Police Post, 3 and 6unit Classroom blocks, construction of green grass pitches, boreholes etc all under $1 Million Per Constituency Projects without any payment made by government to that effect in which some of the facilities are been used by various institutions making it difficult to defend themselves that they have not been paid by government hence this warning.
In conclusion, Nana Ampong said the same contractors have not been paid for projects executed under the Ghana First Program after building several toilet facilities throughout the country.
He appealed to Ghanaians not to politicized the issue but rather support their plea or else such Contractors and their relatives would not vote on December 7, 2020 Election since life in unbearable for them.