The lingering standoff between the Federal Government and indigenous contractors has been resolved following the intervention of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu.
Contractors, who had staged a protest in Abuja over non-payment for months, agreed to suspend further demonstrations after a marathon meeting on Thursday.
The dialogue was convened by Kalu in his capacity as Chairman of the House Special Committee on Budget Implementation, a role he was recently assigned by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen.
The expanded meeting, which lasted over four hours, brought together the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Ogunjimi; lawmakers from key committees; and representatives of over 80 contractors across the country.
At the end of the deliberations, Kalu announced that a mutually beneficial resolution had been reached and that payments to contractors would commence from Monday.
“We had over four hours of engagement, and everyone left smiling. The strategy is in place, and we will reconvene on the 21st of this month to review progress. I want to thank the Speaker and my colleagues for the trust reposed in me, and also commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing diligent officials who have shown humility in service,” the Deputy Speaker said.
Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, also confirmed the resolution, assured contractors that payments would begin immediately after the weekend holiday.
“Under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, we had a marathon meeting where timelines were mapped out. Contractors will be paid for jobs done, and there will be a systematic process to clear the backlogs. By Monday, once the Central Bank reopens, payments will commence,” Edun said.
Corroborating this, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Ogunjimi, noted that payments had already been ongoing and more disbursements would begin dropping from Monday.
The leadership of the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria expressed satisfaction with the outcome, commending the Deputy Speaker for his intervention and pledged to discontinue further protests.
Observers said the resolution underscored the importance of dialogue in resolving disputes and highlights the growing role of the legislature in bridging gaps between government agencies and stakeholders.
