The House of Representatives has instructed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsudeen Ogunjimi, to submit a detailed spreadsheet outlining all payments disbursed to contractors from the ₦2.4 trillion allocated by the government for project execution.
This order comes after the Office of the Accountant-General confirmed that about ₦2.4 trillion had been authorized for release to contractors.
Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Budget Implementation, issued the directive following a strategic meeting with the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria held in Abuja on Sunday.
Levinus Nwabughiogu, the Deputy Speaker’s Chief Press Secretary, stated that the House also emphasized the importance of contractors verifying the legitimacy of completed projects, cautioning against accepting payments for unfinished or fabricated work.
“The government will not compensate for mere documentation or certificates when the actual work remains incomplete,” Kalu asserted. “It would be irresponsible to claim a school has been constructed when children still lack access to education.”
The committee was formed in response to public outcry from contractors over delayed payments.
During the initial meeting on September 4, 2025, a provisional agreement was reached, resulting in 25 percent of the owed payments being released to contractors.
Sunday’s session was convened to review adherence to the agreed terms.
At the meeting, the Director of Funds from the Accountant-General’s office confirmed the approval of ₦2.4 trillion, with only ₦160 billion remaining unpaid.
Additionally, it was disclosed that the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, had sanctioned an extra ₦760 billion to support warrants and cash flow for the remaining months, increasing the total funds allocated to roughly ₦3.1 trillion.
Kalu praised the government’s proactive measures despite the prevailing economic difficulties in Nigeria.
“Allocating over ₦3 trillion for contractor payments within the first eight months of this administration marks a positive development. It reflects a government that is responsive,” he remarked.
Nevertheless, Kalu instructed the Office of the Accountant-General to publish comprehensive house-rents-rising-in-osogbo/” title=”Like Lagos, Like Osogbo: Why Are … Rents Rising in Osogbo?”>payment records to enable the House to authenticate contractors’ claims.
“It undermines the government’s credibility if ₦2.4 trillion has been disbursed and contractors continue to protest publicly. We must cross-check payments with actual project delivery,” he emphasized.
He also warned contractors against compromising the government and citizens by submitting incomplete or inferior work.
“The rule is straightforward: payment should be made to those who have fulfilled their obligations. However, we must guarantee that the work funded genuinely benefits the public. No more ‘the worker labors while another reaps the rewards,'” he concluded.
The subsequent review meeting is slated for October 5, 2025, where both parties will report on progress and compliance.
