Deputy Speaker Kalu brokers truce in FG–indigenous contractors crisis, secures payment deal as disbursement starts Monday.
Nigeria has narrowly escaped a major economic disruption as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, on Thursday, brokered a last-minute deal between the Federal Government and aggrieved indigenous contractors.
The high-stakes standoff, which threatened to paralyze critical government projects, came to an end after Kalu—recently appointed Chairman of the House Special Committee on Budget Implementation—stepped in to mediate.
In a tense four-hour marathon meeting in Abuja, Kalu brought together more than 80 contractors alongside the Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, and other key government officials.
At the close of talks, Kalu announced a breakthrough: contractors will begin receiving payments from Monday, ending weeks of protest and uncertainty.
High-Stakes Dialogue Saves the Day
Kalu, speaking after the meeting, revealed that the intervention was deliberately fast-tracked to prevent escalation.
“We cut short our recess because this issue was too critical to ignore. Dialogue prevailed, and today, contractors left here smiling. We’ve secured a strategy for payments, and by September 21, we’ll review progress to ensure promises are kept,” the Deputy Speaker declared.
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He praised Speaker Abbas Tajudeen for entrusting him with the task and commended President Bola Tinubu’s appointees for showing “humility and diligence in service.”
FG Confirms Payment Timeline
Finance Minister Wale Edun confirmed the truce, assuring that the Central Bank will resume payments immediately after the Friday holiday.
“Under Rt. Hon. Kalu’s leadership, we held a decisive meeting. A timeline has been mapped out, and from Monday, payments will start dropping. This marks a peaceful, systematic solution to long-standing arrears,” Edun said.
He further disclosed that the government had already been clearing some backlogs and would continue until all obligations are met.
Crisis Averted, Confidence Restored
By averting mass protests and stalled projects, the resolution has been hailed as a victory for dialogue and parliamentary intervention. The move is expected to restore trust between contractors and government, while also ensuring that ongoing national projects are not derailed.