Ugochinyere urges FG to pay contractors for completed projects

Ikenga Ugochinyere

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The lawmaker representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Ikenga Ugochinyere, has urged the Federal Government to immediately pay local contractors who have completed 2024 capital projects.

Ugochinyere made the call on Friday when he joined a group of local contractors who have been protesting unpaid funds at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

The contractors, under the aegis of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, have been at the ministry since Tuesday, appealing to the Federal Government to release payments for projects they say were duly executed across various states.

Addressing reporters, Ugochinyere called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently and ensure that contractors are paid, stressing that many of them had borrowed funds to complete their assignments.

He said timely payments would positively impact the economy, as contractors would be able to settle outstanding obligations, repay bank loans, pay suppliers, and reinvest in ongoing projects.

He said, “These jobs have been executed in line with procurement laws, and communities are already enjoying the benefits. In my constituency, the street lights are functioning, boreholes are providing water, and erosion control projects have been completed. The government is already benefiting from these works.”

Ugochinyere noted that delays in payment had placed many contractors under pressure, especially those who sourced funds from banks or private lenders.

The lawmaker appealed to the President to prioritise payments as part of the administration’s development agenda.

He said, “I am begging the President to pay close attention to what is happening in revenue generation. It is very important. He should also look into what is happening within the Ministry of Finance.

“And again, it is time for him to request the account statement of the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund. He needs to see the payments being made and compare how important they are to the lives of Nigerians.

“So please, Mr President, pay the local contractors. I am begging you as a lawmaker, as a Nigerian, and as someone who supports your leadership. You cannot renew hope if these local contractors, who are your people, are not paid. They have committed no offence. They have completed the jobs. The projects are standing.”

Ugochinyere also urged the Federal Government to review ongoing revenue and expenditure processes to ensure smoother disbursement of funds to local contractors, adding that prompt payment for community-level projects was critical to improving livelihoods.

The lawmaker reaffirmed his support for the protesting contractors, saying he would engage his colleagues in the National Assembly on the matter.

“The contractors have done their part, and the completed projects are visible across the country. I am appealing to the President to look into this matter and ensure the prompt release of funds.

“Families cannot fulfill their obligations. Banks cannot get their money back. Some of you took a loan from banks. And these banks do not want to hear that you are here protesting, that I didn’t do it for you. Some took money from friends. Some used their car to borrow money.

“The contractor working in my constituency took money from somebody, and the person is also on his neck. So, it’s so painful that in a government where we say we want to renew hope, we cannot pay thousands of contractors. And then we are still paying for trillions of Naira projects that are not of great importance to the day-to-day life of Nigerians,” he said.

Olugbenga is a fine-grained journalist with over nine years of experience. He loves the smell of a good lead and has a penchant for finding out interesting good reports.

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