The last Military Administration before the arrival of the civilian government following the onset of democracy in Nigeria, had awarded a contract to his company, but was not able to pay before handing over to the civilian government.
However, among the things handed over was a compilation of contract jobs and contractors yet to be paid.
They were about two thousand in number. Their names were compiled and bound in a book with thick green cover and kept at the Ministry of finance. After the compilation, many of the contractors went to the Ministry of Finance to check if their names were there, as there were some contractors whose names were omitted. They all hoped that by compiling their names, government had accepted that it was owing them, and the new civilian government was bound to make good this payment.
So, when the civilian government settled down, they all started demanding for their payments. They formed themselves into a union of contractors being owed and met occasionally in a bid to get the new government to pay them.
They wrote as individual companies each demanding for its own payment. They later gathered that the new government was unwilling to give any attention to their demands for payment. It was said to be more interested in paying for jobs it awarded, rather than pay for those awarded by the previous military government.
The officials at the Ministry of Finance appeared sympathetic to their plight, and promised them that they would continue to plead with the new government to listen to their pleas for payment.
At a stage, it was heard that government had mapped out N20 million to be used in paying about 200 contractors before the Christmas which was already approaching This was in November. Many contractors besieged the appropriate office at the Ministry of Finance in an effort to see if they could be short-listed within the two hundred to be paid. It was rumoured that the government intended to payout a flat rate of N 100,000 to each contractor.
Christmas came and nothing was paid to anyone, and the struggle continued.
Meanwhile seeing that the matter had become very tough, he decided to involve our Blessed Mother, in it. He resorted to a more intensive praying of the Rosary. He also paid visits to our Lord Jesus Christ in His earthly home- the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in his church to present the problem to Him. He pleaded with Mary to speak to Jesus, our elder Brother on the matter and ask Him to command the new government to pay his company.
Next, they heard that the authorities at the Ministry had finally succeeded in getting the government to accept to release ten million naira every month to pay these old bills little by little. They also heard that forty contractors had been short-listed to benefit from the first payment with the N10 million. On investigation, he discovered that the name of his company was among the forty in this list. He was glad and became hopeful of getting this debt problem solved.
About three months passed and nothing was again heard of this list of 40 contractors, nor any payment made to anyone. It appeared government had again changed its mind and they all felt very disappointed.
The next thing that happened was that one of the workers at the Ministry of Finance informed him that he saw the name of his company among vouchers being assembled for payment.
He hurried to the place to make further enquiries to see whether that officer was saying the truth or merely deceiving him for whatever reason.
He was surprised to discover on getting there, that his company had been singled out of about 2000 of them for immediate payment. He also discovered that his payment was not based on the forty names short-listed earlier, as that list still remained unattended to.
He could not contain joy joy at this discovery, as he was totally astounded.
Shortly afterwards, his cheque was ready and he collected his full payment to the surprise of other contractors including the contractor with whom he shared the same job at the same site and who even completed his job much earlier than he did.
Several months later, he met this his co-contractor with whom he shared one job, and whose name was also in the list of 40 short-listed for payment. He told him that he had not yet been paid and did not know of any other contractor who had yet been paid at that time except him. He left him still wondering why he was given that special treatment, out of about 2000 of them. He says that he can never thank our holy mother enough for the way she interceded for him in this very difficult matter.