Reps order finance, budget ministers to pay contractors within seven days
The House of Representatives has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget, Atiku Bagudu, to ensure payment to contractors for jobs executed under the 2024 and 2025 Appropriations.
The resolution followed a motion on Matters of Urgent Public Importance by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), at plenary on Tuesday.
The contractors thronged the entrance of the National Assembly Complex, making access difficult, insisting on continuing the protest throughout the week.
Moving the motion, Mr Chinda said that the house acknowledged the plights of local contractors who had protested many times in the past at the assembly gate.
He recalled that the ministers and the Accountant General of the Federation were invited to a high-level committee meeting led by the deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and they made promises and undertakings to ensure that local contractors were paid.
Mr Chinda said that President Bola Tinubu instructed the ministers to immediately effect payment to contractors and execution of the budgets.
According to the lawmaker, the implementation of the promises and undertakings is still abysmal.
“The said instruction was not implemented several weeks thereafter; the non-payment of local contractors had resulted to severe hardship on both the local contractors and indeed the Nigerian populace and that has brought tension and increased poverty in our country.
d report back within one week for further drastic legislative action.
In a related development, Kabiru Mai-Palace (PDP-Zamfara), moved a motion that the house adjourn plenary for one week to enable the leadership to interface with the executive to ensure swift payment.
Seconding the motion, Francis Waive (APC-Delta) said that the adjournment was also necessary as the protesters insisted on blocking the National Assembly gate throughout the week.
In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, moved for the adoption of votes and proceedings and adjourned plenary to Tuesday, November 11.
(NAN)
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