Indigenous contractors protest non-payment of N500bn, call for presidential intervention
Indigenous contractors across Nigeria staged a two-day protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance, demanding immediate payment for over N500 billion owed to them for fully executed 2024 federal contracts.
The contractors warned that continued non-payment has caused severe hardship, financial distress, loss of property, illness, and even death among their colleagues.
The protest, organized by the Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (ICAN), comes amid growing frustration over delayed disbursement of funds for completed federal projects.
The association accused the federal government of taking credit for projects executed by contractors without honoring the corresponding payments.
Speaking during the demonstration, Haruna Gabari, President of ICAN, expressed deep concern over the human and economic cost of delayed payments.
“We are protesting contracts we executed on behalf of the Nigerian federal government contracts commissioned and completed, yet we have not received our dues,” Gabari said.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and direct the Minister of Finance and the Coordinator of the Ministry of Economy to release the outstanding funds.
Gabari also criticised the Finance Minister for alleged incompetence, linking the failure to pay contractors with the slowdown in economic activity.
“When we pay contractors, the economy moves. But as you can see, the economy is stagnant. Nothing is moving,” he stated.
The president of ICAN highlighted the human toll of the delayed payments. “Some of our members are dying.
”Some are in the hospital. Some have lost property. The Ministry of Finance’s indifference is unacceptable,” Gabari lamented, warning of escalating consequences if payments are not made promptly.
Supporting Gabari, Rotimi Raheem, Public Relations Officer of ICAN, said the protest represents contractors’ persistent efforts to secure their rightful payments.
“This is our third protest. We have met with officials and submitted our list three weeks ago.
”Yet, our payments have not been made,” he said. Raheem explained that contractors had camped overnight at the ministry, pressing for immediate action, and were demanding a resolution within 48 hours.
He added that despite assurances from a permanent secretary that payments would be made by month-end, contractors were unwilling to wait, emphasising the urgency of government intervention.
“We are negotiating with leadership to ensure that within 48 hours our money is released. But time is running out,” he said.
The protesters called on the federal government to demonstrate accountability and recognise the economic contributions of indigenous contractors, warning that further delays could exacerbate social and economic distress nationwide.
