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Peter Obi, Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate, has slammed the Nigerian government for failing to pay local contractors, saying the delay contradicts President Bola Tinubu’s earlier claim that the country had surpassed its 2024 revenue target.
In recent weeks, local contractors have staged protests at the Ministry of Finance in Abuja, demanding payment for completed projects. Demonstrators were seen carrying placards reading: “Concerned contractors owed by Federal Government of Nigeria,” “It’s a crime against humanity for government not to pay contractors for about 360 days,” “Payment delays is fraud,” and “Contractors deserve payment, not fake promises.”.
Reacting to this, Obi, in a tweet on Thursday, said most of the contractors involved are small and medium-sized businesses run by “ordinary Nigerians who have delivered vital public services with the expectation that the government would honour its commitments.”
Obi questioned why contractors remain unpaid despite Tinubu’s public statement in August that Nigeria had “met and surpassed its revenue target for the year.”
“With such an impressive record, one would expect increased investment in the economy—specifically in education, healthcare, and programs that alleviate poverty. Yet, the government has still failed to pay contractors,” Obi said.
He added that “a responsible government cannot claim record revenue while simultaneously leaving thousands of contractors unpaid.”
According to him, the situation exposes “deeper issues related to transparency in our public finance management and governance.”
Obi warned that the non-payment of contractors has wider economic effects, including business closures, job losses and reduced productivity.
“We cannot build a strong economy when public funds are mismanaged, obligations are ignored, and local businesses are treated as expendable,
“If our revenue has indeed increased, it should be reflected in timely payments of obligations, the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and reduced borrowing.”
Meeting these obligations, according to the presidential candidate, “is not optional” but “a test of honesty, competence and true leadership.”
He added that a government that fails in this regard “cannot be trusted to build a nation,” stating that “as leaders, we must honour our obligations, resources with discipline, and create an economy that works for the people. This is how a nation rises.”
