Alleged N4 trillion debt: Contractors’ protest escalates as CSOs join call for minister’s resignation
SKAiF NewsNG SNN
Over 1,000 civil society organisations (CSOs) have thrown their weight behind the ongoing protest by indigenous contractors against the Federal Government.
The groups, operating under a broad-based coalition, accused the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite.of frustrating efforts to settle outstanding debts owed to local contractors and warned that her continued stay in office could deepen Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the coalition said its position followed weeks of engagement and concern over what it described as the failure to implement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on the prompt payment of verified debts.
The statement was signed by representatives of several organisations, including the National Vanguard for Accountable and Transparent Democracy (NVATD), Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), Movement for Accountable and Good Governance (MAGGo), National Coalition for Peace, Unity and Progress (NCPUP), and the National Forum of APC Young Professionals (NFAYP), on behalf of other allied groups.
The coalition described the refusal to clear the debts as “deliberate negligence” and alleged that it had triggered the renewed protests by contractors in Abuja.
According to the groups, the situation amounts to economic sabotage capable of crippling the nation’s economy if left unresolved.
“We warned repeatedly and appealed to the Honourable Minister of State for Finance to act. What is happening today could have been avoided. Sadly, due to persistent inaction, the country is now facing the consequences,” the statement read.
While commending the contractors for what it termed their “patience and patriotism” despite prolonged hardship since 2024, the coalition urged President Tinubu to urgently set up a new presidential committee to take over the payment process from the finance ministry.
The groups further alleged that the debt profile, estimated at over ₦4 trillion for completed and commissioned projects, had continued to grow due to selective payments and administrative bottlenecks.
They accused the minister and her team of sidelining many eligible contractors despite assurances that payments would commence once verified lists were submitted.
“The list of eligible contractors has long been provided and confirmed, yet payments remain stalled, aside from a few selective disbursements. This is unacceptable,” the coalition stated.
According to the CSOs, the prolonged delay has had devastating effects on local contractors, many of whom relied on bank loans to execute government projects.
They claimed that several contractors had lost properties to banks, some companies had collapsed, and others had suffered serious health complications due to financial stress.
The coalition also referenced earlier interventions by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and a presidential directive issued in December for all verified debts to be settled, noting that these efforts had yet to yield results.
“This is not a funding problem. Funds exist. What we are witnessing is outright sabotage, and its consequences could be disastrous for the economy,” the statement warned, adding that Dr. Uzoka-Anite should step aside in the interest of national stability.
The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) resumed its protest in Abuja on Monday over the unpaid ₦4 trillion owed for capital projects captured in the 2024 budget.
Speaking during the protest at the Ministry of Finance, AICAN President, Jackson Nwosu, said many contractors financed the projects through commercial bank loans, leaving them under severe financial pressure.
He warned that the association might be forced to escalate its actions if payments were not made.
