The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, on Thursday successfully brokered a resolution that ended the standoff between the Federal Government and indigenous contractors of Nigeria, following protests in Abuja over delayed payments.
Kalu, appointed Chairman of the House Special Committee on Budget Implementation by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, convened an expanded dialogue with over 80 contractors from across the country and their leadership. The meeting also included the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, and other senior government officials.
After more than four hours of discussions, Kalu announced that all parties had resolved the issues, ensuring that payments to contractors would commence from Monday. He emphasised the importance of dialogue in resolving disputes and outlined plans for subsequent meetings to evaluate progress.
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Kalu said, “We had over four hours of engagement, and the contractors left here smiling. We agreed on a strategy, and we will reconvene on the 21st of this month to review progress, tick the boxes, and plan the way forward.”
Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, commended the Deputy Speaker for his intervention, assuring that a structured payment plan had been mapped out. “A timeline was put in place, and all parties accepted the steps needed for approvals and orderly payments. After Friday’s holiday, the Central Bank will reopen on Monday, and payments will commence immediately,” he said.
Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi corroborated the minister’s statement, noting that the process of paying contractors is ongoing and that disbursements would resume on Monday.
The leadership and members of the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria expressed satisfaction with the resolution and pledged to discontinue their protest, commending Kalu for his role in facilitating a peaceful and mutually beneficial agreement.
Kalu also thanked the Speaker of the House and his colleagues for entrusting him with the responsibility, while affirming the House’s commitment to monitoring progress and ensuring timely resolution of such issues in the future.
