A prominent advocacy organization has called for the immediate removal of Finance Minister Wale Edun and Accountant-General Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, accusing the officials of systematically failing to compensate contractors who completed government-approved projects.
The Coalition for Equity and Accountability in Public Finance issued the ultimatum following widespread complaints from contractors who remain unpaid despite executing projects fully captured in the 2024 federal budget.
In a strongly-worded statement released Wednesday, coalition leaders Segun Daramola and Isaac Idachaba threatened to petition the National Assembly for a vote of no confidence if the two officials refuse to step down voluntarily.
The organization accused the finance ministry of creating a disturbing pattern where legally mandated payments are ignored while unauthorized expenditures receive priority funding.
“This is no longer a mere administrative delay; it is a calculated dereliction of duty,” the coalition declared. “Contractors have completed projects backed by law, projects approved and funded under the 2024 Appropriation Act, yet they are left unpaid and forced into bankruptcy.”
The group highlighted what it described as a fundamental violation of democratic principles, arguing that the selective implementation of budget provisions undermines the constitutional authority of the National Assembly.
According to the coalition, numerous contractors nationwide have been forced to service crushing debts after borrowing at high commercial rates to finance government projects, creating a cascade of economic hardship affecting small businesses, suppliers, and workers throughout the contracting ecosystem.
“Government contracts are supposed to stimulate the economy. Instead, under the stewardship of Mr. Wale Edun and the Accountant General, they have become instruments of ruin,” the statement read.
The advocacy group framed the issue as both a financial crisis and a moral failing that threatens Nigeria’s international credibility, warning that the government’s approach sends a message that “contracts mean nothing” to potential investors.
The coalition also called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene decisively, suggesting that his reform agenda faces credibility challenges due to his finance ministry’s performance.
The demands coincided with physical protests by the Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria, whose members blocked access to the Finance Ministry building in Abuja on Wednesday. The demonstrators prevented staff from entering the premises and initially barred Minister Edun’s convoy from accessing the facility through the main entrance.
Protesters displayed banners criticizing the payment delays, with messages including “you cannot grow the economy by starving its builders” and accusations that the National Assembly was ignoring contractors’ suffering.
The demonstrators rejected attempts by ministry officials to address their concerns through intermediaries, insisting on direct engagement with the Finance Minister himself.
The coordinated pressure from both civil society and contractor groups reflects mounting frustration with what critics describe as the government’s failure to honor its most basic fiscal obligations while pursuing off-budget expenditures.
