The African Democratic Congress (ADC), through a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, has strongly criticized the Federal Government over its mounting debts to local contractors and pensioners, branding the situation a clear sign of insensitivity to the suffering of ordinary Nigerians.
The party expressed deep disturbance over the plight of local contractors who have been protesting for weeks at the Federal Ministry of Finance, carrying coffins to symbolize the death of their businesses due to unpaid debts.
Similarly, they highlighted the government’s neglect of pensioners who have been forced to threaten naked protests over long arrears.
The ADC stated that no serious government allows its citizens to resort to such extreme measures and accused the APC government of not caring about the damage done to the country’s image and citizens’ livelihoods.
The ADC questioned the contradiction between the Federal Government’s frequent claims of surpassing revenue targets and its failure to clear outstanding debts, specifically mentioning over N500 billion owed to contractors for completed jobs.
They also demanded to know why pensioners are still waiting for increments and palliatives that were approved long ago, arguing, “You cannot claim revenue excellence while ordinary Nigerians are drowning in unpaid debts. Something is not adding up.”
Furthermore, the party criticized the APC-led government for focusing on political mobilization for 2027 (distributing campaign vehicles and building structures) instead of addressing the debt crisis, concluding that a government that cannot honor its obligations has “absolutely no moral right to be campaigning for another term.”
The ADC warned that it is fully prepared to join the protests if the government fails to take urgent action, asserting its commitment to defending Nigerians affected by the current administration’s failures.
Here is a summary of the situation based on the ADC’s statement and the confirmed protest details:
1. Contractors’ Protests Over Unpaid Debts (The “Coffins” Symbol)
• Protesting Body: Members of the All Indigenous Contractors of Nigeria/All-Indigenous Contractors’ Association of Nigeria (AICAN).
• Location: They have been staging determined protests, often camping for weeks at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja, and have also demonstrated at the National Assembly (NASS).
• Core Grievance: Prolonged delay in payment for contracts successfully executed, with reports indicating a collective debt of over N500 billion for completed projects. Other sources estimate the debt as high as ₦3 trillion or ₦760 billion.
• Impact: The contractors state the non-payment has crippled their businesses, forced firms to shut down, and led to families facing severe hardship, including children being withdrawn from school.
• Current Status: The protests have been sustained, with contractors vowing not to leave the Ministry of Finance premises until all outstanding payments are settled, despite multiple assurances from officials like the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and interventions by the National Assembly.
They accuse officials of attempting to push the payments into the next fiscal year (2026), making the debt a “backlog.”
2. Pensioners’ Protests (The “Naked Protest” Threat)
• Protesting Bodies: Retirees under the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, representing agencies like NITEL, FRCN, Nigerian Railway Corporation, and others.
• Core Grievance: They are protesting non-payment of entitlements, which include:
• Pension arrears for up to 35 months.
• Non-payment of the N35,000 palliative approved by the Federal Government.
• Non-implementation of a pension increment (e.g., N32,000) that was reportedly approved long ago (as far back as July 2024 in some cases).
• Impact: Pensioners decry the “untold hardship” they suffer, with some unable to even take home N30,000 per month.
• Current Status: Protests have taken place in various locations, including Lagos and Abuja.
While the Minister of Finance had previously pledged to resolve the outstanding pension arrears, the non-payment of long-standing entitlements and approved increments continues to fuel the unrest and the threat of extreme protest actions.
The ADC’s statement accurately reflects the ongoing, severe crises faced by both groups, using the potent imagery of coffins and the threat of naked protests to emphasize the government’s perceived insensitivity.
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