By Stephen Simon
Contractors engaged by the Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) Limited, Ekpan, Delta State, have threatened to stage a peaceful protest over the alleged non-payment for contracts they claim to have executed since 2024.
The contractors said the projects were carried out according to approved specifications and were certified by the refinery authorities as satisfactorily completed, yet payment has allegedly remained outstanding.
The aggrieved contractors, who claimed the debt runs into billions of naira, said the prolonged delay in payment has subjected them to severe financial hardship and pushed many to the brink of economic distress.
In a Save Our Soul (SOS) appeal made available to journalists, the contractors said they had made several unsuccessful attempts to secure payment through the appropriate channels.
According to them, repeated appeals were directed to the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Engr.
Bashir Bayo Ojulari, and the Refinery Coordinator, Engr. Bayo Adenrele, urging them to release funds for contracts they described as duly executed.
They lamented that many contractors obtained loans and sourced funds from private financiers to execute the projects because commercial banks were unwilling to finance contracts linked to the refinery.
The contractors further claimed that their financiers have begun mounting pressure for repayment, with some allegedly threatening to seize properties used as collateral for the loans, while several post-dated cheques issued by the contractors have repeatedly matured without settlement.
They appealed to the refinery management to settle the outstanding payments, warning that continued delay could worsen their financial difficulties. According to them, some contractors are struggling to meet family obligations, including the payment of their children’s school fees.
Efforts to obtain the reaction of WRPC management were unsuccessful as officials were said to be in a meeting at the time of filing this report.
