The House of Representatives on Tuesday held a two-hour closed-door meeting with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, to address suspected concerns surrounding the non-payment of indigenous contractors.
The meeting, which lasted from 11:48 a.m. to 1:24 p.m., was presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
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Before the House went into executive session, proceedings began with the usual opening formalities, the recitation of the National Anthem and subsequently, Mr Tajudeen directed the Majority Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, to move the motion for the House to dissolve into a closed session.
The motion was adopted without objection.
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Although the leadership did not disclose the issues discussed or any resolutions reached, there are indications that the conversation touched on the delayed implementation of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act, a delay believed to be stalling federal projects and straining contractors who rely on timely disbursements to meet obligations.
For months, the plight of indigenous contractors has remained a sore point for the National Assembly.
Recall that weeks earlier, contractors barricaded the National Assembly gate in a sustained protest, vowing to occupy the premises and disrupt legislative activities if their outstanding payments were not settled. Their agitation paralysed access to the premises and drew national attention to the scale of unpaid debts.
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In response, the House in November moved to suspend its plenary sessions for one week after the contractors’ protest intensified at the National Assembly complex.
During that period, the chamber issued a seven-day ultimatum to Mr Edun, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi.
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They were directed to immediately clear all outstanding debts owed to indigenous contractors and guarantee the effective implementation of the 2025 budget.
However, they made a U-turn hours later and reconvened for plenary the following day, claiming that there were “positive developments arising from engagements and interventions across various levels of government concerning issues that informed the earlier adjournment, particularly matters relating to contractors’ agitations and the non-release of funds under the 2024/2025 budget.”
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