The House of Representatives on Tuesday held a closed-door session with the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, over the lingering non-payment of indigenous contractors.
The meeting, presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, lasted two hours — from 11:48 a.m. to 1:24 p.m. Proceedings opened with the National Anthem before Majority Leader Julius Ihonvbere moved the motion for the House to enter an executive session, which was unanimously approved.
Although the leadership did not disclose the details of the discussion, the talks are believed to have focused on the delayed release of funds for the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act — a bottleneck that has stalled federal projects and strained contractors awaiting payment.
The issue of unpaid indigenous contractors has been a recurring concern for the National Assembly. Weeks earlier, contractors besieged the National Assembly complex in sustained protests, blocking its gates and threatening to shut down legislative activities until their debts were cleared. The blockade significantly disrupted access to the premises and drew nationwide attention to the scale of outstanding obligations.
In response to the intensifying demonstrations, the House had suspended plenary for one week in November and issued a seven-day ultimatum to Finance Minister Wale Edun, Budget and National Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu, and Accountant-General of the Federation Shamsudeen Ogunjimi to settle outstanding debts and ensure smooth implementation of the 2025 budget.
However, the House reversed its decision shortly after, reconvening the next day. Lawmakers said the adjournment was lifted due to “positive developments arising from engagements and interventions across various levels of government,” particularly those related to the contractors’ grievances and delayed budget releases.
The executive session with Edun and Adedeji marks the latest attempt by lawmakers to address mounting frustrations over stalled payments and sluggish budget execution.
