Reps Summon Finance Minister Edun, CBN Governor Cardoso Over Unpaid Local Contractors
The House of Representatives on Thursday summoned key government officials to explain the prolonged delay in the payment of local contractors for completed projects since 2024.
Those summoned include the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Accountant-General of the Federation, Babatunde Ogunjimi; Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso; and the Auditor-General of the Federation, Shaakaa Chira.
This resolution followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Nnamdi Ezechi (APC, Delta), who decried the failure of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to pay contractors for certified projects completed since October 2024.
The House directed the invited officials to appear before it on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, to explain the reasons behind the non-payment and to present a clear timeline for settling all verified outstanding obligations.
The House also mandated its Committees on Public Accounts and Budget and Economic Planning to conduct a joint probe into the systemic failures that have hindered the disbursement of funds meant for contractor payments.
The committees were also tasked with investigating lapses in accountability among MDAs responsible for processing payments and are expected to report back within four weeks with their findings and legislative recommendations.
He expressed concern that budgetary releases under the 2024 financial year to MDAs remain below 50 per cent, resulting in widespread project abandonment, financial distress among contractors, and an overall negative impact on the economy.
According to him, the non-payment has severely hindered the implementation of critical constituency projects, undermined public confidence in government delivery, and weakened investor trust in the nation’s infrastructure sector.
He said the delay in payment to contractors has resulted in job losses, stalling of infrastructure development, and disruptions to community-based projects across the federation, adding that if left unchecked, the situation could lead to mass protests, legal disputes, and complete paralysis of public projects.
