Lawmakers at the House of Representatives
A member of the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has called for a comprehensive audit of the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over the Federal Government’s alleged ₦4 trillion indebtedness to local contractors.
Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, made the demand during a solidarity visit to members of the All Indigenous Local Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), who have been staging a sustained protest in Abuja.
The contractors, who began their demonstration on Tuesday, December 2, have blocked the entrance of the Ministry of Finance and parts of the adjoining road, insisting the government must immediately pay for projects they executed in 2024.
According to them, the ₦4 trillion debt has lingered despite “three consecutive promises” by the government.
Speaking to the protesting contractors, Ugochinyere accused the Finance Ministry and FIRS of failing to align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He insisted that a full audit would expose “where the local contractors’ money is hidden.”
The lawmaker stressed that the contractors had duly executed the projects in line with the Procurement Act, and that many communities—including those in his constituency—were already benefitting from the completed works.
“People are already enjoying the street lights
my constituency as part of my campaign. I listened to them. The water borehole is already running in my constituency. The erosion control board is already running in my constituency,” he said.
“So government is already enjoying it; these executed projects. Government signboard is there, and you can’t pay the contractor.”
Ugochinyere urged President Tinubu to intervene without delay, warning that withholding payment was hurting families, crippling businesses, and undermining the economy.
“And I must say this, maybe the President will hear me: there is no other way to renew hope than to pay local contractors who will now pay their suppliers. Those suppliers will go to market and buy something. There is no other way,” he said.
“I will say this with all due respect: the finance minister and the FIRS man are not doing Mr President any good. As it is now, families cannot fulfil their obligations. Banks cannot get their money back. Some of these contractors took loans from the bank.”
He added that some contractors had gone as far as using their cars as collateral to complete the government projects.
The lawmaker insisted that the government should pay the contractors “within a short period,” preferably through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund. He dismissed the idea of further scrutiny by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the completed jobs had already been uploaded for verification.
“There was no need buying off time, that is nonsense. These jobs have been done already. I am pleading with Mr President to intervene for the payment of these contractors in the interest of national security; there is insecurity all over the land,” he said.
For his part, AICAN President, Jackson Nwosu, expressed disappointment that earlier assurances from the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives had not materialised. He described the situation as unjust, arguing that people should not work for the government only to be abandoned.
Nwosu vowed that the contractors would not allow the debt to be rolled over into 2026, insisting that their protest would continue until the funds were released.
(NAN)
