Reps lift one-week suspension of plenary following contractors’ protest
The House of Representatives has decided to reconvene plenary on Wednesday, a few hours after it adjourned the sitting until next Tuesday.
The House had suspended a plenary session for one week to enable its leadership to interface with the executive with a view to settling the dispute between the federal government and local contractors over non-payment for projects executed.
That followed the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by the member representing Gusau/Tsafe federal constituency of Zamfara State, Hon. Kabiru MaiPalace, and seconded by Hon. Francis Waive (APC, Delta) during plenary on Tuesday.
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However, the House, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Hon Akin Rotimi, said the sudden change was to follow up on positive developments arising from engagements and interventions across various levels of government concerning issues that informed the earlier adjournment, particularly contractors’ agitations and the non-release of funds under the 2024/2025 budget.
“The House of Representatives will reconvene for plenary on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, contrary to the earlier resolution to adjourn sittings until Tuesday next week.
“This decision follows positive developments arising from engagements and interventions across various levels of government concerning issues that informed the earlier adjournment, particularly matters relating to contractors’ agitations and the non-release of funds under the 2024/2025 budget, the early resumption will afford the Leadership of the House the opportunity to brief members on progress recorded in resolving these issues and other related matters of national importance.
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“At Wednesday’s plenary, the House is expected to formally rescind its earlier adjournment resolution to enable proceedings to continue. The Leadership urges all Honourable Members to make the necessary arrangements to be in attendance,” the statement reads.
The local contractors had besieged the National Complex, protesting the non-payment for the jobs they executed for the federal government, an action they vowed to sustain for over a week.
The lawmakers expressed concern over the difficulty in accessing the National Assembly Complex amid the protest, hence the need to adjourn and seek a solution to the issue.
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Moving for the adjournment, MaiPalace said: “Plenary should be adjourned for one week. After one week, when we hear from the side of the executive about this issue of non-payment and implementation of the 2024-2025 budget, then we will continue sitting.”
Seconding the motion, Waive said: “The Contractors promised that during this one week, they would continue to demonstrate, making this place unconducive and inaccessible for us. So we won’t be fighting with them at the gate to come in.
“So it’s sensible for us to keep away and give the government, the executive, the opportunity to do the needful. I agree very much with the motion and I second it.”
Hitherto, the House has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget, Atiku Bagudu, to ensure the payment of local contractors for jobs executed under the 2024-2025 Appropriations.
This followed the adoption of a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance, moved by the minority leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers).
Moving the motion, Chinda acknowledged the plight of local contractors who had protested severally in the past and were protesting at the gate.
He recalled that the ministers and the Accountant General of the Federation were invited to a high-level committee meeting led by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, and they made promises and undertakings to ensure that local contractors are paid.
Chinda said President Bola Tinubu had instructed the ministers to effect payment to local contractors and execute the budgets immediately.
“The instruction was not implemented several weeks thereafter. The non-payment of local contractors has resulted in severe hardship for both local contractors and the Nigerian populace, leading to tension and increased poverty in our country.
“Consequently, the House is urged to resolve that the Minister of Finance, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, and the Accountant General of the country, be given seven days to make payments of all outstanding bills to local contractors for 2024 and implement the 2025 budget,” he said.
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