Unpaid Local Contractors Protest in Abuja, Seek Tinubu’s Intervention

A group of aggrieved local contractors under the banner of Concerned Local Contractors staged a peaceful protest in Abuja on Monday, calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the prolonged delay in payments for projects they claim were completed as far back as January 2025.

The protest took place at the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance, where the contractors brandished placards with inscriptions like “We delivered our projects, now pay us” and “Central payment system by OAGF and FMF has failed woefully. Revert back to the former system.”

Speaking during the demonstration, the group’s spokesperson, Desmond Ibe, lamented that none of their members had received any payment in over six months. He criticized the current centralized payment structure managed by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and the Federal Ministry of Finance as ineffective and cumbersome.

“We are calling on Mr. President to help us. It has been too long,” Ibe pleaded. “We are yet to be paid, even though we completed our contracts months ago. This delay is pushing many of us to the brink amidst rising economic hardship and insecurity.”

Ibe claimed that only about 35% of the 2025 budget had been implemented so far, largely due to the government’s failure to settle contractor debts. He urged President Tinubu to grant the Finance Ministry greater autonomy in processing payments to contractors, which he believes would streamline disbursements and prevent further delays.

The protesters warned that if the current situation persists, many small contractors might collapse financially, potentially worsening unemployment and insecurity across the country.