Reps Order Accountant-General to Publish N2.4tr Contractor Payments

By Oluwakemi Kindness

The House of Representatives has directed the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, to submit a comprehensive spreadsheet detailing contractors who have received payments from the federal government’s N2.4 trillion allocation for project implementation.

The directive followed disclosures by the Office of the Accountant-General that N2.4 trillion had already been disbursed to contractors.

This is with an additional N760 billion approved by the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, for warrants and cash backing, bringing the total commitments to about N3.1 trillion.

Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who chairs the Ad-hoc Committee on Budget Implementation, issued the order after a four-hour appraisal meeting with the Association of Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday.

A statement on Monday by his spokesperson, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu stressed that transparency is critical, insisting that Parliament must verify the authenticity of projects and payments.

“We need to see how the government has paid N2.4 trillion while some contractors still claim they have not been paid. Nigerians must be assured that funds are tied to legitimate and completed projects, not just paper certificates,” he stated.

While commending President Bola Tinubu’s administration for approving record payments despite economic pressures, Kalu warned contractors against sharp practices.

“It would be unacceptable to claim a hospital has been built when there is none, or to certify roads that do not exist. The principle remains: let him that works be paid, but government will not pay for nothing,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker recalled that the intervention followed recent street protests by contractors over months of unpaid fees.

He noted that an initial truce brokered on September 4, 2025, resulted in the release of 25 percent of arrears, with further compliance now under review.

The Committee has scheduled another appraisal session for October 5, 2025, to scrutinize the payment records and confirm progress on outstanding obligations.