Indigenous contractors owed by the federal government can now heave a sigh of relief, as Finance Minister Wale Edun has confirmed that payments will begin next week.
Edun disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday after a stakeholders’ meeting called by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, in response to demonstrations staged by the contractors earlier in the week.
The minister explained that the government had agreed on an “orderly and systematic” process to offset the backlog of debts. “All the issues were laid bare, and with the intervention of Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, we agreed on a roadmap. Everyone left the meeting reassured that contractors would get their dues and the backlog would be handled in phases,” Edun said.
He stressed that the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Central Bank were already aligned to commence the process. “Once the holiday is over, payments will start on Monday,” he assured.
Corroborating the minister, Accountant-General Shamseldeen Ogunjimi said some disbursements were ongoing. “We’ve been paying, and from Monday, more payments will hit contractors’ accounts,” he noted.
The contractors, under the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria, hailed Kalu’s mediation and promised to shelve further protests, describing the outcome as “a peaceful resolution.”
