Abbas rejects call to invite Tinubu over capital projects funding

By Christiana Ekpa

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday over rule efforts by opposition lawmakers to smuggled a motion summoning President Bola Tinubu to appear before the House over delays in releasing funds to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for budget implementation.

Speaker Abbas’ action followed the deliberation on a motion of urgent national importance brought by Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh on the “Urgent need to address the poor funding of appropriated budgets and delayed releases to MDAs as revealed during the 2026 budget defence sessions”.

Ikwechegh had submitted a copy of the motion containing five prayers to Speaker Abbas in compliance with House Standing Rules, but while presenting the motion, he smuggled an additional prayer calling for the invitation of the president to explain to Nigerians why releases were not being made to fund the budget.

Consequently, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi moved to amend the prayer explaining that instead of summoning the president, government officials saddled with the responsibility of managing nation’s financial institutions should be invited.

Although he was shouted down by some of the opposition lawmakers, Speaker Abbas weighed in insisting that the original motion had no prayer seeking for the invitation of the president, hence the prayer could not be put to vote.

Rebuking the lawmaker, Speaker Abbas said, “Hon. Mascot, you gave me a copy of your motion and what is contained on prayer five is that an ad hoc committee should be constituted to interact with the relevant agencies. So, it is wrong for you to attempt to bring in what is not contained here”.

Continuing, Abbas said, “Honourable colleagues, what Hon. Mascot read was a complete deviation from the motion he presented to me. Hon. Mascot, kindly bring out the motion you read out and let us see where the prayer to invite the president was included”.

Warning against Ikwechegh, Speaker Abbas said, “You cannot ambush the House. Bringing in extraneous materials into a duly submitted motion is not allowed. Hon. Mascot, honour begets honour and we should not be mischievous about what we do here”, the speaker cautioned.

Also citing the House Standing Rules, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu admonished his colleagues saying it will be wrong for lawmakers, who legislate for the nation not to obey their own rules and regulations. He advised lawmakers to conduct themselves in a way befitting of their status.

Consequently, the speaker put the motion to a voice vote and it was adopted without the prayer to invite the president.

Earlier, while presenting the motion, Hon. Ikwechegh said the “House notes that Sections 80 and 81 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) vest the power of appropriation in the National Assembly, and that the credibility of the budget rests not on the size of the figures appropriated but on the fidelity and timeliness with which appropriated funds are released, cash-backed and utilised by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs);

“Also notes that during the 2026 budget defence sessions, Honourable Ministers and heads of MDAs disclosed deeply troubling levels of funding of the 2025 budget, including sectors that recorded zero capital releases for the entire fiscal year and others that received only token fractions of their appropriated capital votes;

“Aware that these disclosures are consistent with the repeated protests staged in 2025 and early 2026 by indigenous contractors at the Federal Ministry of Finance and the gates of the National Assembly, on one occasion disrupting plenary sittings, over unpaid certificates for completed and verified projects, with many contractors unable to service bank loans obtained to execute government projects.

“Also aware that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at the Federal Executive Council meeting of 10 December 2025, expressed grave displeasure at the backlog, directed the immediate settlement of verified contractor liabilities of about One Point Five Trillion Naira, and constituted an inter-ministerial committee to harmonise records and deliver a lasting funding solution, declaring the readiness of government to borrow, if necessary, to settle verified obligations.

“Further aware that in furtherance of that directive, the National Assembly approved borrowing in excess of One Trillion Naira specifically to finance the settlement of outstanding obligations on completed and verified capital projects, in addition to dedicated provisions in the 2026 Appropriation Act for contractor liabilities, while the Honourable Ministers of Finance have announced the clearance of substantial sums, announcements which contractors dispute as partial.

“Concerned that notwithstanding the clear directive of Mr President, the legislative approvals and the ministerial assurances, releases to MDAs remain slow and uneven, stalling critical projects, escalating contract costs, exposing contractors to insolvency and rising non-performing loans, and eroding public trust in the budget.

“Disturbed by recent newspaper reportage of a Federal Treasury Circular dated 29 June 2026, issued by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, halting payments for Zonal Intervention and Constituency Projects unless a Certificate of Verification and Compliance is first obtained from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, a directive which, however well intentioned, introduces yet another layer of bureaucratic clearance at the very moment Mr President has demanded speed, and risks turning back the hands of the clock by subjecting duly appropriated, procured and executed projects to further delay;”

Continuing, the lawmaker said “Accordingly resolves to: Commend Mr President for his directive on the immediate settlement of verified contractor liabilities, and urge its full, faithful and speedy implementation by all fiscal authorities;

“Urge the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Budget Office of the Federation, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the Central Bank of Nigeria to prioritise the timely release and cash backing of appropriated funds, publish a clear schedule of releases for the 2026 fiscal year, and conclude the verification and settlement of all outstanding contractor liabilities within a defined and publicly communicated timeframe;