The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has confirmed the payment of N152 billion to contractors, according to a post on X by the Minister of State, Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite.
Her post reads as follows: “I wish to confirm that the Federal Ministry of Finance (@FinMinNigeria) has disbursed a total of N152 billion to contractors for verified contracts.
“Every payment undergoes rigorous verification in accordance with extant laws and regulations, ensuring the protection of taxpayers’ funds and upholding accountability and transparency.
“We remain committed to continuous dialogue and engagement, seeking effective resolutions to all conflicts.
“We also call on all contractors to respect the processes and personnel of the ministry, who have shown unwavering dedication despite facing varying degrees of intimidation and harassment.
“The ministry assures all contractors of our ongoing support and reiterates that all payment requests will continue to be processed in line with due process, timely, and consistently.
“We remain committed to fostering an environment of mutual respect, transparency, and accountability.”
Recall that since last year, contractors under the aegis of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) have continuously protested over unpaid contractual fees for the FGN’s contracts completed.
The president of AICAN, Mr. Jackson Nwosu, said during the protests, “The government has failed to honor the agreement to pay contractors whose project details had been submitted and verified. Payments finalized before the closure of the payment portal at the end of December never reflected in our accounts.
“They claim 80 percent of the debt has been cleared, but in reality only 30 to 40 percent of payments have been processed.”
More details later.
