…“We’re suffering, some have died,” they lament

By Gabriel Ewepu, Abuja

ABUJA — No fewer than 5,000 local contractors under the umbrella of Concerned Contractors Owed by the Federal Government of Nigeria 2024 Capital Projects on Monday appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly to urgently intervene and facilitate payment for projects they completed over nine months ago.

During a press conference held in Abuja, the contractors, represented by Convener Jackson Nwosu, voiced frustration over the prolonged non-payment, describing their current situation as dire, with many facing serious financial and personal hardships.

The statement, co-signed by the group’s secretary RQS. MIQS. Babatunde Seun, Engr (Dr) Peter Adhekugu, Mr. Chidi Kanu, and Mr. O.F. Agada, revealed that some of their members have died due to financial pressure, while others face asset seizures, unpaid employee wages, and untreated health issues.

“These projects have been fully completed and obligations fulfilled. Yet, for over nine months now, our invoices remain unpaid,” Nwosu said. “Contractors are drowning in debt. Some have committed suicide. Families are suffering. This delay is not only unjust—it is inhuman.”

The contractors urged the Federal Government to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability, stressing that timely payment for executed projects is essential to national development and trust in governance.

“We are appealing for justice—justice in the form of timely payment for work already done. We’ve heard so much rhetoric from the Office of the Accountant-General and Ministry of Finance, but no action to back it up,” he added.

Referencing Section 5(b) of the Public Procurement Act (2007), which mandates that no contract should be awarded without budgetary provision, Nwosu lamented that the situation contravenes both the letter and spirit of the law.

The group also observed a minute of silence for contractors who had passed away while awaiting payment, chanting, “All we are saying, pay us our money.”

Also speaking at the event, Chief Princewill Okorie, National President of the Association for Public Policy Analysis, backed the contractors’ call for intervention and urged lawmakers to activate their constitutional oversight functions.

“I call on the Chairmen of the Appropriation Committees in both the Senate and House of Representatives to investigate why these contractors have not been paid. Section 88 of the Constitution empowers the legislature to investigate corruption, inefficiencies, and waste in fund utilization,” Okorie said.

He emphasized that unpaid capital projects threaten the government’s development agenda, undermining efforts to deliver on critical infrastructure like roads, schools, hospitals, and bridges that are essential for public welfare and national security.

He concluded, “If the contractors are not paid, then the implementation of the capital budget is stalled, which directly contradicts the Renewed Hope Agenda and the constitutional mandate that the welfare and security of citizens must remain the primary purpose of government.”

The group urged the President and legislators to act without further delay to save the lives and livelihoods of thousands of affected Nigerians and to prevent a collapse of confidence in public procurement systems.