Indigenous contractors have staged a protest at the ministry of finance in Abuja to demand payment of sums owed them by the federal government.
Some of the protesters were seen holding banners and
placards that read: ‘Concerned contractors owed by federal government of
Nigeria’, ‘It’s a crime against humanity for government not to pay contractors
for about 360 days, ‘Payment delays is fraud not just injustice’, ‘No payment
to contractor, no peace’ and ‘Contractors deserve payment, not fake promises’.
Last month, the house of representatives suspended plenary
for one week after the contractors besieged the National Assembly Complex.
They had accused the federal government of refusing to
release the funds earmarked in the 2024/2025 budgets.
Subsequently, Philip Agbese, deputy spokesperson of the
house of representatives, said President Bola Tinubu has directed Wale Edun,
minister of finance, and Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, accountant-general of the
federation, to commence the payment.
In September, Edun said the federal government had adopted a
structured process to address outstanding obligations to contractors.
“Under the leadership of the Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, we did
hold a marathon meeting today where all the issues were discussed and a
timeline was put in place and a way forward was mapped out and all parties at
the end of it left knowing that contractors would be paid for jobs done and we
have an orderly and systematic way of dealing with the backlogs which had
accrued over time,” he said.
“Once again, we commend the leadership of the house of
representatives and the contractors for their willingness to sit down and
dialogue.
“The accountant-general of the federation made some
commitments which helped us to chart the way forward.”
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