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Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over the growing protests by local contractors across Abuja and other parts of the country, describing the situation as a troubling indictment of the government’s handling of public finances.
In a post on Thursday, Obi said the images of contractors demanding payment for completed projects reflect the struggles of small and medium-sized businesses, many of which are owned by ordinary Nigerians who have delivered essential public services, only to have the government fail to honour its commitments.
He noted that the development is alarming, given President Bola Tinubu’s August declaration that Nigeria had “met and surpassed its revenue target for the year.” Obi argued that such an achievement should have translated into increased investment in education, healthcare, and poverty-alleviation programmes, not unpaid debts owed to contractors.
“A responsible government cannot claim record revenue while leaving thousands of contractors unpaid,” he said, warning that the contradiction points to deeper issues of transparency in Nigeria’s public finance management.
According to Obi, the government’s failure to settle outstanding bills has far-reaching consequences, including the collapse of small and medium enterprises, job losses, worsening family hardship, and a decline in national productivity.
“We cannot build a strong economy when public funds are mismanaged, obligations ignored, and local businesses treated as expendable,” he added. “If our revenue has indeed increased, it should reflect in timely payment of obligations, the growth of MSMEs, and reduced borrowing.”
Obi stressed that meeting financial commitments to contractors is “not optional” but a fundamental test of honesty, competence, and leadership.
“A government that cannot fulfil its commitments cannot be trusted to build a nation,” he said. “As leaders, we must honour our obligations, manage resources with discipline, and create an economy that works for the people. This is how a nation rises.”
