The House of Representatives on Monday, charged the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, to produce a comprehensive breakdown of all payments made to contractors from the N2.4 trillion recently released by the Federal Government for project execution across the country.
This followed confirmation by officials from the Office of the Accountant-General that disbursements totalling N2.4tn have been given out to various contractors executing projects for the Federal Government.
Lawmakers, however, insisted that the funds must translate into projects that Nigerians can see, touch, and benefit from, warning contractors against the fraudulent practice of brandishing certificates of completion for jobs that exist only on paper.
The warning was issued by Deputy Speaker of the House and Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee on Budget Implementation, Benjamin Kalu after a heated session with leaders of the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria.
Recall that only a week ago, the House waded into the crisis triggered by contractors who blocked the Ministry of Finance in protest over unpaid arrears.
Responding, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, charged Kalu to lead a special committee to break the deadlock and restore order.
The committee’s first sitting on September 4, 2025, secured the government’s commitment to release 25% of the debt, with another review slated for September 21.
On Sunday, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation disclosed that N2.4tn had been paid out, leaving ₦160bn as outstanding debt. He further revealed that the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun had approved another ₦760bn in warrants and cash backing, raising the government’s total commitment to about ₦3.1tn.
Addressing journalists on Monday, Kalu welcomed the payments but noted however that both the government and contractors remain under scrutiny.
“When contractors blocked the Finance Ministry, the House intervened to restore order. We calmed the crisis through legislative diplomacy. But let it be clear: we are not here to defend phantom claims or rubber-stamp corruption. ₦2.4tn is not pocket change. Nigerians must see real projects for this kind of money,” Kalu said.
He acknowledged progress on some fronts, including partial settlement of arrears and batch number clearance, but noted that bottlenecks with warrants and cash backing remain a concern.
“Government confirmed that ₦2.4tn has been paid already, with another ₦760bn in the pipeline. That’s roughly ₦3.1tn. Yet, contractors are still on the streets shouting neglect. This House wants to know who exactly has been paid, how much, and who has not. Anything short of full disclosure is unacceptable.
“It is wicked to declare a hospital complete when patients still die without beds. It is fraudulent to claim that classrooms have been built when children still study under trees. Every kobo must match visible results. No more paper projects. No more lies,” he warned.
The committee, he added, has demanded a verified spreadsheet from the Accountant-General to reconcile the government’s claims with contractors’ grievances.
We are determined to expose any discrepancies. If ₦2.4tn has been released and contractors are still crying foul, something is very wrong, and we will get to the bottom of it,” Kalu vowed.
He assured Nigerians that the panel will not relent, announcing that another post-agreement review session has been fixed for October 5, 2025, where both government officials and contractors will speak on the level of progress.
