The House of Representatives has given the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, a seven-day deadline to ensure the immediate payment of outstanding debts owed to local contractors for projects executed under the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
The decision followed a motion of urgent public importance raised by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda (PDP–Rivers) during plenary on Tuesday.
Chinda told the House that the protests by aggrieved contractors at the National Assembly gates reflected their frustration over delayed payments despite several promises by government officials.
He recalled that the ministers, alongside the Accountant General of the Federation, had earlier appeared before a high-level committee chaired by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, where they pledged to release funds promptly.
Chinda further disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had also directed the ministers to prioritize the payment of contractors to ease economic hardship and boost project delivery. However, he said that implementation had been slow, deepening the contractors’ financial distress.
“The continued non-payment of these contractors has caused severe economic strain, leading to job losses and widespread hardship across the country,” Chinda said.
The House subsequently resolved to give the Finance and Budget Ministers, along with the Accountant General, seven days to clear all pending payments and ensure full implementation of the 2025 budget.
In support of the resolution, Rep. Kabiru Mai-Palace (PDP–Zamfara) proposed a one-week adjournment to allow parliamentary leaders to interface with the Executive for faster resolution. The motion was seconded by Rep. Francis Waive (APC–Delta).
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu approved the adjournment, moving the next plenary to November 11, 2025.
