Protest: 1,000 CSOs back local contractors

demand resignation of Finance Minister, Uzoka-Anite

No fewer than one thousand (1000) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have formed a strong Coalition to back the ongoing protest against the Federal Government, by Nigeria’s local contractors in Abuja.

The Coalition has also called on the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, to resign quietly, to save Nigeria of the imminent economic crisis.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed on Wednesday by the Representative of National Vanguard for Accountable and Transparent Democracy (NVATD), Comrade Wisdom Abah; that of Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF), Engr. Istifanus Pam; Movement for Accountable and Good Governance (MAGGo), Comrade Babatunde Ibidapo; National Coalition for Peace, Unity and Progress (NCPUP), Alhaji Babale Idris; and that of National Forum of APC Young Professionals (NFAYP), Engr. Lukman Adejobi; on behalf of other groups.

The groups frowned at the refusal of the Finance Minister to implement the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the outright payment of the outstanding debts owed the indigenous contractors in Nigeria.

They tagged it as a major sign of “economic sabotage”, ascribing the ongoing protest to “unwarranted negligence” of Dr. Uzoka-Anite, saying the ongoing civil action would hamper and ground the nation’s economy.

“We have been sounding this warning, calling and begging the Honourable Minister of State for Finance. This was what we were trying to avoid. But today, it is coming upon the nation. This whole thing was avoidable, but for the unwarranted negligence of the Minister, this is happening”, the statement said.

The Coalition, while acknowledging “the patience, long suffering, perseverance, and display of patriotism” by the Contractors whom they said, have endured the “shame and suffering since 2024”; also called on President Tinubu to urgently constitute another Presidential Committee to take over the responsibility of payment of the debts from the Finance Minister and her team.

“We have understudied this whole issue and we can comfortably tell anyone, including Mr. President, that this is a dangerous signal for economic sabotage. Dr. Uzoka-Anite and her collaborators should not be allowed to handle this issue anymore. It would do this country more harm than good. Infact, the Minister should quietly resign and abdicate her duties, to save the country from the looming economic crisis.

“If not for sabotage, why on earth should you allow the Federal Government to accumulate such a high debt of over four trillion naira (N4tr) since 2024, on projects that have been completed and even Commissioned by the executive. Her own case is even worse than Mr. Wale Edun. She is said to be selecting those contractors from her state of birth or those close to her contacts and paying them.

“Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite promised that warrants would be released once the list of eligible contractors was provided. The Contractors have since submitted the list of eligible recipients and it has been duly confirmed. Yet, no payment has followed the submission, aside some handful selective payments.

“Some of these local contractors have died as a result of pressure from banks where they took loans from, to execute the jobs. Some companies are now rendered bankrupt, while some business owners are down with stroke. Yet, the government is engaging in selective payment to their cronies and foreign contractors.

“Despite the intervention of the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and the directive from President Tinubu in December that all debts should be cleared, these guys appear adamant. And it is not as if there is no fund. This is total sabotage and the end result is disastrous”, the Coalition warned.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), had reported that, the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) on Monday resumed its protest in Abuja over N4 trillion debt owed to its members by the Federal Government for completed capital projects appropriated in the 2024 budget.

Speaking with journalists during the protest at the Ministry of Finance on Monday, AICAN President, Mr Jackson Nwosu, warned that the association might be forced to take drastic action if the outstanding payments were not settled.

Nwosu said the funds used to execute the 2024 capital projects were largely sourced from commercial banks, placing contractors under severe financial pressure; threatening to totally shut down the economy of the country, as “our next line of action”, “if they do not kill us”

NAN quoted Nwosu as saying, many contractors had defaulted on bank loans, leading to the seizure of properties, while some members had reportedly died as a result of the financial strain.