Abuja — No fewer than 500 legal practitioners under the banner of Concerned Lawyers for Probity and Justice on Thursday joined indigenous contractors in a protest at the Federal Ministry of Finance, demanding the immediate payment of an estimated ₦4 trillion owed for completed capital projects.
The lawyers, supported by civil society groups including the Enough is Enough Movement and the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), accused the ministry of favoritism and deliberate neglect in its handling of verified contractor payments.
During the protest, the demonstrators also called for the resignation of the Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, accusing her of gross mismanagement of the payment crisis.
Heavy security presence was observed at the ministry’s headquarters, with police patrol vehicles and armed officers barricading the main entrance as of 12:48 p.m. on Thursday.
Several contractors, who spoke anonymously for fear of victimization, said that despite partial disbursements made in December 2025, the bulk of verified debts remains unpaid, worsening their financial distress.
In a statement read at the protest and signed by Barrister Precious Isi Okoh, the contractors lamented that many had borrowed funds at high interest rates to execute government projects and are now facing severe consequences.
“Contractors who borrowed from banks at high interest rates to fund these projects are now battling loan defaults, with banks seizing homes, vehicles, and other assets,” Okoh said.
He added that families have been thrown into turmoil, with breadwinners pushed into despair, mental health crises, and, in some cases, total economic ruin due to unpaid obligations.
Beyond personal hardship, the protesters warned of broader economic implications, noting that thousands of workers employed by the affected contractors have lost their livelihoods as projects stall and payments are delayed.
“A nation that starves its own builders starves itself of progress,” the statement noted.
The lawyers further cited constitutional provisions, arguing that the continued withholding of payments violates Sections 15(5) and 16(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which mandate the state to eliminate corruption and ensure the welfare and economic prosperity of citizens.
The protesters appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene, warning that legal action would be pursued if the Ministry of Finance fails to honor its contractual obligations. No official of the ministry addressed the protesters at the time of filing this report.
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