Contractors’ protest: How Tinubu’s intervention saved implosion within NASS — Rep Agbese

The Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, on Monday affirmed that the timely intervention of President Bola Tinubu averted what could have been a major implosion within the National Assembly, following the recent disquiet over the delay in releasing funds for the 2024 and 2025 capital projects.

Hon. Agbese spoke against the backdrop of last week’s protest by indigenous contractors who disrupted legislative activities at the National Assembly over the non-payment of over N3 trillion for various contracts executed since 2024.

He described the past few days in the House of Representatives as “challenging but instructive,” noting that calm had been fully restored after the leadership of the House, under Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, took steps to address lawmakers’ grievances.

Agbese explained that the growing agitation among members was triggered by the non-release of funds for 2024 capital projects and delays in commencing funding for the 2025 budget, barely two months before the end of the fiscal year.

According to him, “The frustration expressed by some of our colleagues was genuine. Many projects across the country, especially constituency projects, were stalled due to non-release of funds. This also affected indigenous contractors who had executed 2024 capital projects but were yet to be paid.”

Hon. Agbese recalled that tension heightened last week when hundreds of indigenous contractors, under the aegis of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), staged a protest at the National Assembly, blocking the main entrance and preventing vehicular access to the complex.

“The protest by the contractors was an unfortunate reflection of the economic pressure they were under. Some lamented that the non-payment had forced them to sell their properties or shut down their businesses. The House took their grievances seriously and immediately engaged the Executive to resolve the matter,” Agbese said.

He added that the Speaker and other principal officers quickly reached out to the Presidency to prevent the situation from escalating.

“The intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was decisive. Mr. President directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, to commence immediate payment to contractors. We have received confirmation that some of these payments are already being made. This singular action by the President helped douse rising tempers and restore normalcy within the House,” he said.

The Deputy Spokesperson commended the leadership of the House, under Speaker Abbas, for handling the matter with maturity and wisdom, ensuring that both lawmakers’ and contractors’ concerns were addressed without confrontation.

He added: “Our members have absolute confidence in Speaker Tajudeen Abbas. He has shown that he is a truthful and patriotic leader who believes in dialogue, not division. The House remains united in its resolve to support the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”

Agbese, however, clarified that the delay in budget implementation was not the fault of the Tinubu administration, attributing it to the burden of carrying over obligations from previous fiscal years.

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“The truth is, this administration inherited uncompleted projects and past budget obligations that needed to be implemented at all costs. So, the delay cannot be attributed to President Tinubu. On the contrary, his swift response demonstrated his commitment to good governance and fiscal responsibility,” he said.

While commending President Tinubu for his intervention, Agbese called on the Executive to expedite action on the implementation of the capital component of the 2025 approved budget.

During a closed-door session on Wednesday, members of the House called on the Federal Government to ensure full implementation of the outstanding 2024 and 2025 projects without further delay.

The lawmakers, while expressing concerns over poor funding of the national budgets, demanded full implementation of the capital component of the 2024 Appropriation Act. They also expressed displeasure over the protest by indigenous contractors who blocked the main entrance of the National Assembly complex in Abuja, obstructing movement into the parliament building.

The lawmakers urged the Executive to ensure prompt commencement of the 2025 capital budget implementation to avoid project delays and stalled development initiatives.

The House had, last Tuesday, resolved to suspend sittings for seven days over issues bordering on non-payment of contractors and delays in funding capital projects, especially constituency projects — a situation that had affected their constituents.

However, the House later rescinded its decision and resumed sitting following what it described as positive developments and encouraging feedback from the government.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE