Deputy Spokesperson of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Hon. Chief Philip Agbese, has lauded the effort of the Speaker, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas and his deputy, Dr. Benjamin Kalu, in resolving the lingering impasse between the federal government and indigenous contractors.
Recall that, the Speaker, through his Chief of Staff, Prof. Jakes Dan Azumi, had earlier this week, announced two distinctive ad-hoc committees, headed by the Deputy Speaker, Kalu and his predecessor, RT. Hon. Idris wase; to look into the complaints of non funding of constituency projects by the executive and alleged lopsided recruitment into the National Assembly bureaucracy, respectively.
Barely 24 hours after the announcement, Deputy Speaker, Kalu swung into action by causing an expanded meeting between the Honourable Minister of Finance, Dr. Wale Edu; the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGoF), Mr. Samsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi; and about 100 indigenous contractors across various sections of the country.
Kalu was said to have successfully brokered a resolution through his intervention, bringing an end to the standoff between the Federal Government and indigenous contractors of Nigeria, at the Thursday’s meeting.
To this end, payments to contractors are expected to commence from Monday, 8th September, 2025.
Responding to questions from Journalists Friday morning, Agbese, who currently represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State; acknowledged Kalu-led Committee, for swiftly arresting the agelong protests of the Contractors.
Agbese alluded to the fact that, such intervention from the leadership of the House was a pointer that developments will not elude the people at the grassroots, saying, this is a Hallmark of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He reiterated that, the 10th House of Representatives under Speaker Abass remained committed to the welfare of all Nigerians, down to the rural areas.
“This swift intervention by His Excellency, Kalu-led Committee, has greatly solved more than half of Nigerians’ problem. You know a hungry man is an angry man. And it is when a man is hungry that he would appreciate a plate of food. These Contractors have actually been agitating, now succors have come their way, as they would be smiling to the banks as from Monday next week.
“This is what only responsible and responsive leadership can give. We must give it to the Speaker and his Deputy! This is what we have known them for and this is one of the reasons why the entire 358 Members of the House will continue to rally round them with support until the timeline of the 10th House is over; and we pray for the 11th House to be graciously blessed with the duo of Abbas and Kalu, again”, Agbese added.
He said, the House under Abbass has played several strategic roles between critical stakeholders such as, “averting industrial disputes between the Federal Government and ASUU, FG and NLC and most recently, conflict between the FG and the youths, where Mr. Speaker engaged young Nigerians in marathon meetings that lasted for days before amicable resolutions were reached.
“What that tells us is that, with Tajudeen Abass heading a strategic arm of Government as Speaker, the President can always go to bed with his eyes fully closed as well as the youths and other stakeholders having a Government that they are sure will protect and serve their interest, irrespective of the hour of the day”.
The Lawmaker expressed great optimism that, the development would no doubt make Nigerians happy as those contractors have families, loved ones and friends, who depend on them.
Agbese, however, called on the Contractors and the general public, to keep fate with the current leadership of the House and the executive, trusting their various Representatives enough to work with the administration, in delivering all the deliverables encapsulated in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.
