Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Chief Philip Agbese, has commended Speaker of the House, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas, and his deputy, Dr. Benjamin Kalu, for brokering a resolution to the long-standing impasse between the Federal Government and indigenous contractors.

Earlier in the week, Speaker Abbas, through his Chief of Staff, Prof. Jakes Dan Azumi, announced the constitution of two ad-hoc committees, one chaired by Deputy Speaker Kalu to investigate complaints of non-funding of constituency projects, and the other led by former Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Idris Wase, to probe alleged lopsided recruitment in the National Assembly bureaucracy.

Barely 24 hours after the announcement, Kalu convened an expanded meeting with the Minister of Finance, Dr. Wale Edun, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mr. Samsudeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, and about 100 indigenous contractors. The meeting reportedly resulted in an agreement to settle outstanding payments, with disbursement scheduled to begin on Monday, September 8, 2025.

Speaking with journalists on Friday, Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, praised Kalu’s swift action, noting that the resolution would bring relief to contractors who had staged repeated protests over unpaid claims.

He said the intervention demonstrates the House leadership’s commitment to grassroots development, describing it as a hallmark of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This swift intervention by the Kalu-led committee has solved more than half of Nigerians’ problems. These contractors have been agitating for a long time, and now succor has come their way as they will be smiling to the bank next week,” Agbese said.

He added that the 10th House of Representatives, under Speaker Abbas, has consistently played a strategic role in mediating disputes between the government and critical stakeholders, citing previous interventions that averted industrial action by ASUU, the NLC, and resolved tensions with Nigerian youths.
“With Tajudeen Abbas leading a key arm of government, the President can go to bed with his eyes fully closed, assured that the interests of Nigerians are being protected,” Agbese stated.

The lawmaker expressed optimism that the resolution would have a ripple effect on households and communities across the country and called on contractors and the public to continue to trust the House and the executive to deliver on the promises in the 2024 and 2025 budgets.