The House of Representatives on Tuesday held a closed-door session with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, over the persistent non-payment of indigenous contractors. The meeting, which lasted two hours, was convened to address mounting concerns over stalled federal projects and delayed capital releases under the 2025 Appropriation Act.
Presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, the session commenced at 11:48 a.m. with routine proceedings, including the recitation of the National Anthem. Shortly after, the Speaker directed Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere to move a motion for the House to enter an executive session—a request the chamber adopted without objection. The meeting ended at 1:24 p.m.
Although the House leadership did not disclose details of the deliberations, sources within the National Assembly indicated that the discussion likely focused on the delayed rollout of the capital component of the 2025 budget. The hold-up is believed to be hampering ongoing federal projects and exerting financial pressure on contractors who rely on prompt payment for executed works.
The issue of unpaid indigenous contractors has been a recurring concern for lawmakers. Just weeks earlier, aggrieved contractors barricaded the National Assembly complex in a prolonged protest, threatening to shut down legislative activities unless their outstanding debts were settled. The demonstration disrupted access to the premises and drew national attention to what contractors described as crippling indebtedness by the federal government.
In reaction to the escalating protests, the House in November suspended plenary for one week and issued a seven-day ultimatum to Mr Edun, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi. They were directed to clear all outstanding payments to indigenous contractors and ensure smooth implementation of the 2025 budget.
However, the chamber reversed the suspension hours later and reconvened the following day, citing “positive developments arising from engagements and interventions across various levels of government concerning issues that informed the earlier adjournment, particularly matters relating to contractors’ agitations and the non-release of funds under the 2024/2025 budget.”
The latest closed-door meeting is expected to shape the next steps in resolving the impasse, even though the House has yet to announce any concrete resolutions.
