Contractors Threaten Protest Over Alleged ₦15bn DESOPADEC Debt

Tension is building around the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) as contractors prepare to protest over unpaid project funds running into billions of naira. The contractors allege that despite the release of ₦8.4 billion three months ago, outstanding liabilities remain largely unsettled.

Sources familiar with the situation said DESOPADEC’s total debt stood at about ₦15 billion before the last disbursement. While ₦8.4 billion was reportedly released, contractors claim that only part of the funds reached them, leaving an unpaid balance now estimated at between ₦6.6 billion and ₦7 billion as more projects reach completion.

Investigations indicate that about ₦3.5 billion of the released funds allegedly went to a small group of contractors linked to board members and political loyalists, while the remaining ₦4.9 billion was shared among general contractors, covering only a fraction of outstanding claims.

Several contractors, who say they have waited more than two years for payment, accused the state government of neglect. They also questioned why major infrastructure firms are reportedly paid promptly while small contractors struggle to recover loans taken to execute projects.

The aggrieved contractors are now planning to blockade the commission’s premises if payments are not made, warning that continued delays could cripple DESOPADEC’s operations and worsen tensions in oil-producing communities.