Gov. Ganduje terminates contracts, owes foodstuff suppliers over N1.3bn

The members of the association of foodstuff suppliers (Food Contractors) have decried non-payment of N1.3bn and sudden disengagement of their services by the Kano State Government.

Solacebase reports that the foodstuff suppliers are contractors that supply food to boarding schools including Science and Technical colleges in Kano.

In a save our soul message to Solacebase over the weekend, the food contractors said the debt covers 21 weeks out of which 3 weeks were paid long ago.

They expressed surprise that despite their huge outstanding with the state government, their services were terminated without any prior notice.

‘’We were surprised that the state government terminated our contract without any prior notice despite owing us over N1.3bn. For about seven occasions, the government pleaded with us to continue the food supply to schools with the promise to pay but reneged on its promises,’’ said the contractors.

Read Also:{Special Report+ PHOTOS}: Education with tears in Kano

‘’We were just informed unofficially that the members of the state government established committee in charge of the foodstuff supply to schools are now the contractors handling the supply by themselves despite not paying us our money’’.

Most of the food contractors who does not want their name in print for protection from victimization appealed to the state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for expedite payment of their outstanding noting that they are indebted to many food dealers at ‘’Dawanau’’ grain market and ‘’Yan Kaba’’ grocery market in the state and their bankers.

Reacting to the development, the State Commissioner for Education, Malam Muhamad Sanusi Kiru confirmed to Solacebase that the food contractors have outstanding with the government but the debt is been audited to ascertain the exact amount.

Read Also:SURVEY: CSO decries acute water shortage in a LGA of Kano

Malam Kiru said the foodstuff suppliers’ contract had to be terminated because they said they could not continue due to the outstanding with the government.

‘’Honestly, we are owing them (foodstuff suppliers) but we are presently auditing the debt to ascertain the exact amount we are owing them, ‘’Malam Kiru said.

However, the food contractors denied claims by the government that they proposed the disengagement of the contracts due to the outstanding.