Fatima Ndagi
Indigenous contractors across the country have lauded the House of Representatives and its Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, for successfully intervening in the lingering dispute over unpaid project execution fees.
The President of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), Jackson Ifeanyi Nwosu, in a letter of appreciation to Kalu, praised the Deputy Speaker’s leadership and “thoughtful approach” which led to a breakthrough with the Federal Government after weeks of tension.
The development followed protests in Abuja last week by contractors demanding payment for projects executed. In response, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, set up an ad hoc Committee on Budget Implementation and appointed Kalu as chairman to engage relevant stakeholders.
Kalu subsequently convened a marathon meeting in Abuja with the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamshudeen Ogunjimi, and representatives of the protesting contractors. After over four hours of deliberations, parties agreed on a clear payment schedule, with disbursements expected to begin from Monday.
Speaking after the meeting, Kalu commended the contractors for suspending their planned “Occupy Abuja” action, noting that dialogue had produced a “mutually beneficial agreement” in the interest of the economy. He also announced that follow-up meetings would be held later this month to track progress.
“I want to thank the Speaker of the House of Representatives for finding me worthy to chair this committee. We saw the protest and asked the contractors to come for a conversation. They left smiling because we now have a strategy in place,” the Deputy Speaker said.
Finance Minister Edun, in his remarks, assured that payments would commence immediately after the public holiday. “All the issues were discussed, and a timeline was put in place. Contractors would be paid for jobs done, and we have agreed on a systematic process for clearing backlogs,” he said.
The Accountant-General of the Federation, Ogunjimi, corroborated the minister’s assurance, stating: “From Monday, payments will start dropping.”
In his letter to the Deputy Speaker, AICAN President Nwosu attributed the suspension of protests to the Parliament’s intervention. He commended Kalu’s “renewed hope and leadership style,” describing the resolution as a turning point for contractors.
“It is truly inspiring to see you adding value and tackling difficult challenges for the collective good of all irrespective of tribe or religion,” Nwosu wrote.
With this breakthrough, contractors expressed optimism that the agreement would not only ease their financial strain but also strengthen trust in government processes going forward.