Isaac samuel
The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso over non-payment of contractors since 2024.
Also summoned were Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; Atiku Bagudu; the Accountant-General of the Federation, Babatunde Ogunjimi; tand the Auditor-General of the Federation, Shaakaa Chira.
This followed the adoption of a motion moved at the plenary on Thursday by Hon. Ezechi Nnamdi.
Moving the motion, the lawmaker expressed concern that contractors across all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have not received payment for certified work completed since October 2024, despite budgetary provisions for capital projects in the 2024 Appropriation Act.
He explained that budget releases under the 2024 financial year to MDAs remain below 50 per cent, resulting in widespread project abandonment, financial distress among contractors, and an overall negative impact on the economy.
He noted that the non-payment has severely hindered the implementation of critical constituency projects, undermined public confidence in government delivery, and weakened investor trust in the nation’s infrastructure sector.
Nnamdi expressed worry that the delay in payment to contractors has resulted in job losses, stalling of infrastructure development, and disruptions to community-based projects across the federation.
He pointed out that the situation, if left unchecked, could lead to mass protests, legal disputes, and complete paralysis of public projects.
The House resolved to invite the concerned officials to appear before it on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 to explain the reasons for the non-payment of contractors and provide a clear timeline for settling all outstanding verified payments.
The House mandated its Committee on Public Accounts and Committee on Budget and Economic Planning to conduct a joint inquiry into the systemic failure to disburse funds for contractor payments.
It also mandated its committees to investigate accountability lapses at MDAs responsible for processing payments and report back to the House within four weeks with findings and recommendations for remedial legislative action.
