Philip Nyam 
The House of Representatives on Tuesday suspended its plenary sessions for one week in solidarity with local contractors owed by the Federal Government.
The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Kabiru Maipalace (Gusau/Tsafe Federal Constituency, Zamfara State), who urged the House to suspend sittings for seven days until the government settles outstanding payments owed to Nigerian contractors.
The House had reconvened for plenary when proceedings were disrupted by aggrieved contractors protesting at the National Assembly complex over unpaid dues. The protesters vowed to continue their demonstration for a week and threatened to obstruct legislative activities if their demands were ignored.
Amid the tense atmosphere, lawmakers rejected all four motions of urgent national importance listed for consideration. This prompted Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, to call for a closed-door meeting to address members’ frustrations and explore solutions.
Upon resumption, Minority Leader Hon. Kingsley Chinda raised a motion highlighting the Federal Government’s failure to implement the 2024–2025 budget effectively, particularly the non-payment of local contractors.
“Contractors—our brothers and sisters—are protesting at the National Assembly over unpaid jobs completed under the 2024 budget. Despite several assurances from the Executive, including the Ministers of Finance and Budget, nothing has been done. The President himself directed immediate payment weeks ago, yet the instruction remains unimplemented,” Chinda lamented.
He noted that the situation had caused severe hardship for contractors and worsened poverty levels across the country.
Consequently, the House resolved to give the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, and the Accountant General of the Federation a seven-day ultimatum to pay all outstanding bills owed to local contractors under the 2024 appropriation and begin implementation of the 2025 budget.
The House also mandated its leadership to ensure strict compliance with the resolution and report back within one week for further legislative action.
Following this, Hon. Maipalace moved another motion urging the House to suspend sittings for one week to allow time for updates on the issue.
Hon. Francis Waive, Chairman of the Rules and Business Committee, supported the motion, explaining that the protesters had vowed to maintain their presence at the National Assembly throughout the week, making the complex unsafe and inaccessible.
He argued that a temporary adjournment would allow the Executive to address the contractors’ grievances without further disruption to parliamentary business.
Deputy Speaker Kalu observed that many members had struggled to access the complex due to road blockades caused by the demonstrations and agreed that the adjournment was necessary to prevent further interruptions.
The House subsequently resolved that all items on the order paper be deferred until next Tuesday, with members unanimously endorsing the one-week adjournment while the leadership engages the Federal Government on the matter.
