The Federal Government has announced that payments to indigenous contractors will commence on Monday, following a high-level dialogue facilitated by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu.
Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, disclosed this in Abuja after a marathon four-hour meeting convened by Kalu with over 80 contractors and key government officials, including the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, to resolve months of standoff over unpaid debts.
Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, said in a statement that the dialogue, held under the auspices of the House Special Committee on Budget Implementation, has brought an end to contractors’ protests and paved the way for an orderly settlement of outstanding payments.
Edun praised the intervention of the Deputy Speaker, noting that a timeline has been agreed upon for payment of verified claims.
“Under the leadership of Benjamin Kalu, we held a marathon meeting today where all the issues were discussed, and a way forward was mapped out. All parties left knowing that contractors would be paid for jobs done, and we now have an orderly and systematic way of dealing with the backlogs,” Edun said.
He confirmed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will process payments immediately after the Friday public holiday.
Kalu, speaking after the meeting, said a mutually beneficial resolution had been reached and thanked the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abass, and other lawmakers for entrusting him with the responsibility of leading the talks.
“We saw the protest and asked the contractors to come so we could have a conversation,” he said. “After over four hours of engagement, they left here smiling. A strategy has been put in place, and we will reconvene on September 21 to review the progress and ensure all commitments are being met.”
The Accountant-General of the Federation also confirmed the development, assuring contractors that “from Monday, payments will start dropping.”
