Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria’s House of Representatives has suspended plenary sessions for one week following a major protest by local contractors demanding payment for work completed under the 2024 and 2025 budgets. The decision came on Tuesday after an emergency session to address the escalating crisis, which saw the main entrance to the National Assembly in Abuja barricaded by dozens of angry contractors earlier in the day. The blockade disrupted access and delayed the day’s legislative business.
Key Developments: The Protest: Contractors, who claim they are owed significant sums for executed projects, vowed to maintain their protest for seven days, saying the government has repeatedly failed to honour its financial commitments.
Parliamentary Action: The suspension was proposed in a motion of urgent public importance by legislator Kabiru Maipalace (APC, Zamfara). Lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the move, arguing that they should not reconvene until the federal government acts.
Ultimatum Issued: The House issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Ministers of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, and the Accountant General of the Federation. They are ordered to settle all verified outstanding debts to indigenous contractors and ensure the full implementation of the 2025 budget commences.
Lawmakers React
During the session, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu called an emergency closed-door meeting to discuss the situation after several routine motions were turned down by members amid the tension. Following the closed-door meeting, the Minority Leader sharply criticised the government’s failure to implement its budget, stating that non-payment was deepening economic hardship and increasing poverty across the country.“Contractors—our brothers and sisters—are at the gate protesting that they have not been paid for jobs executed since 2024. We have engaged the Executive multiple times, but the promises made have not been kept,” he lamented. Supporting the adjournment, Francis Waive, the Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, explained the practical difficulty: “The contractors have vowed to continue their protest and make this place inaccessible. It is only reasonable for us to step aside and allow the Executive to act.”The House has now adjourned until next week, stepping down all scheduled legislative items, and mandated its leadership to engage with President Bola Tinubu’s executive branch to ensure a swift resolution to the payment dispute.
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