Keep Your Promise to Local Contractors, Economic Rights Activists Tell FG, Finance Minister

Frontline Economic Rights Activists (FERA), on Thursday, urged the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, to save Nigeria of the embarrassment by honouring the Feburary 24th deadline promise made to local contractors.

 

This was, even as, the Senate Committee on Appropriation drilled Mr. Edun and his team for hours on Thursday, during a summon at the National Assembly.

 

The Senate had invited Mr. Edun and other Managers of the nation’s economy, over zero releases for the capital components of the 2025 budget, which the Lawmakers lamented, has crippled activities of government.

 

Worried by zero performance of virtually all the Ministries and agencies’ capital budget in 2025; Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Solomon Yayi, declared that “the era of rubber-stamp budgeting is over”; saying, the summon was not a routine oversight, but “a full fiscal autopsy”.

 

He also reminded Edun and others, of the presidential directive that Ministries, Departments and Agencies must fund 30% of prior obligations before March 2026, with the remaining 70% absorbed into the new budget.

 

On his part, the Finance Minister admitted the 2025 budget faltered badly, as a result, the government prioritised salaries, pensions and statutory transfers, while capital projects suffered, adding that, “actual receipts barely covered recurrent expenditure”.

 

In a statement signed by the Spokesperson, Comrade Abdullahi Musa, and made available to newsmen Thursday evening, the Frontline Economic Rights Activists (FERA) hailed the Senate Committee on Appropriation, saying Nigeria belongs to everyone.

 

The group said the Finance Minister was economical with the truth, “when President Tinubu invited him and his team in December, he did not give these plenty economic grammers he gave at the Senate today, which was why the President directed that the local contractors should be paid immediately”.

 

Musa said, both Edun and his junior Minister, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite were playing with the collective intelligence of the people, that they both speak differently on same issues.

 

“As far as the National Assembly appropriated for these projects and with all monetary and fiscal laws backing them, nothing on earth should have delayed the releases, since the funds was there. At no time did either Wale Edun or Doris Uzoka-Anite open up to the President or anyone that, there was no funds to service the projects.

 

“All we hear them say is promises upon promises. In fact, in the last 6 months, the duo had promised to pay up the over N4trn debts owed local contractors, eleven times. And for those eleven times, they failed to keep to their promises. It shows lack of integrity and commitment on their part. It is a great embarrassment to the country.

 

“We call on Mr. Edun and his team, to keep to the promise made few weeks ago to the protesting local contractors that their outstanding debts would be cleared Feburary 24th. This should be done, not only as a matter of economic priority, but to save Nigeria of more embarrassments.

 

“We also condemn the statement credited to the Minister of State, today, purportedly extending the implementation of 30 per cent of the 2025 capital budget to November. This script by Madam Minister will not work. It shows that she is not concerned about the abysmal fall of the economy yet. This shows she lacks basic knowledge of how these indices could finally ground the nation’s economy. We call on Mr. President to do the needful, and relief Uzoka-Anite and Edun of their duties, and save our economy”, the statement added.