Lawmakers at the House of Representatives
House of Representatives has directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, to settle outstanding payments owed to local contractors within seven days.
The order covers contracts executed under the 2024 and 2025 Appropriation Acts.
The decision followed a motion on Matters of Urgent Public Importance raised by the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP–Rivers), during Tuesday’s plenary session in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that scores of local contractors stormed the National Assembly Complex earlier in the day, blocking entrances and vowing to continue their protest until their long-awaited payments were made.
While presenting the motion, Chinda reminded the House that the plight of local contractors was not new, noting that similar demonstrations had occurred in the past without resolution.
He recalled that both ministers and the Accountant-General of the Federation had previously appeared before a high-level committee chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, where they promised to ensure prompt payment of debts owed to the contractors.
According to Chinda, President Bola Tinubu had also directed the concerned ministries to prioritize the settlement of these payments and speed up budget implementation, but those directives had yet to be acted upon.
> “The said instruction was not implemented several weeks thereafter,” Chinda lamented. “The non-payment of local contractors has brought severe hardship not only to them but also to many Nigerians who depend on them. It has created unnecessary tension and deepened poverty across the country.”
He therefore urged the House to compel the Finance and Budget Ministers, along with the Accountant-General, to ensure immediate payment of all verified debts within seven days and to fully commence implementation of the 2025 budget.
Following deliberations, the House adopted the motion and instructed its leadership to oversee compliance with the resolution and present a report within one week for possible legislative action should the order be ignored.
In a related motion, Rep. Kabiru Mai-Palace (PDP–Zamfara) proposed that the House adjourn plenary for one week to enable its leadership to engage directly with the Executive for a quick resolution.
The motion was seconded by Rep. Francis Waive (APC–Delta), who noted that the adjournment was necessary as the protesters had vowed to continue occupying the National Assembly gate throughout the week.
In his ruling, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu approved the motion and adjourned plenary until Tuesday, November 11, pending feedback on the implementation progress.
(NAN)
