Local contractors under the umbrella of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) have again staged a peaceful protest at the entrances of the Federal Ministry of Finance over alleged continued delays in payments for completed and commissioned projects, accusing the government of constantly shifting its position and lying.

Led by the National Secretary of the body, Babatunde Seun-Oyeniyi, the group said that despite several meetings and assurances, the federal government has continued to fail in the payment of the contractors and has constantly reneged on previous promises, leaving them with no other choice than to keep holding peaceful protests.

He lamented that over ₦500 billion is being owed to members of AICAN and even though recently the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, promised to pay them weeks ago, he has since failed to do so and has rather referred them to the National Assembly, which had earlier intervened in the matter.

“Following the intervention of the National Assembly, we sat with the Minister of Finance and suspended our earlier protest immediately.

“Since then we have been in dialogue with the Minister of Finance on how we will be paid, and he told us that he has ₦150 billion at the moment to pay us and that what they are owing us is very little; therefore we will be paid.

Unfortunately, we have been here more than six times, but he hasn’t paid us,” he explained.

The group’s secretary noted that, “From the last conversation we had, we even told him that for now, since you said you have up to ₦150 billion as part payment to AICAN, start the payment immediately, but he has not done so. We don’t know what is causing this delay.

“When we collate, the government is owing AICAN more than ₦500 billion.”

Speaking on the central role contractors play in maintaining the economy, a member of the association, Innocent Anslem, said AICAN is one of Nigeria’s major employers of labour; therefore starving it of required funds to function is inimical to national development.

He said, “We do not have any problem with the government or anyone else; all we want is for our money to be released and paid to us. We are one of the biggest employers of labour in this country.

“The 2024 budget, the popular Renewed Hope Budget, was funded 100 per cent by members of our association. The government of the day only passed the budget, but not a single dime was used to fund it. We funded the budget, and the administration is taking credit for it.”

Anslem pointed out that it is on the basis of the various contracts carried out and completed by AICAN that the government will showcase to the people at the grassroots to see and assess the government as performing.

“All we are asking for is, pay us our money. This lack of payment has brought a lot of poverty to our people. We have lost members, and we have lost virtually everything we have in terms of the investment we have made in the budget, and bank interests keep running every day,” he added.

He said AICAN members are now praying to recover and return to normalcy, but the government keeps shifting its position and lying to the group.

As the protest persisted, staff and visitors going into or out of the ministry were unable to do so, as both entrances into the ministry were blocked by the protesting contractors.

The AICAN members were seen carrying placards with words such as: “Banks no longer have confidence in sponsoring government projects,” “Many contractors have lost their lives through suicide,” “Though we cannot have value for our money again, pay us what you’re owing us,” and “You are killing small businesses, pay what you owe,” among others.

They even composed and sang songs like: “Na our money we need o he, we don’t need anything, Wale Edun pay us, Tinubu pay us.”