Indigenous Contractors Threaten Shutdown of Key Government Offices Over Unpaid Claims

The All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN) has issued a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, threatening to shut down the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), the Ministry of Finance, and other implicated agencies over prolonged non-payment of outstanding claims.

In a strongly worded letter dated September 1, 2025, and addressed to the Accountant General of the Federation, the association expressed frustration at what it described as “continued betrayal of trust against Indigenous Contractors” According to AICAN, despite repeated assurances, including commitments made in meetings held on August 27 and 28, finalized payments running into hundreds of millions of naira have not been released.

The association revealed that a warrant for the November and December 2024 backlog, along with February and March 2025 payments, had already been signed by the Honourable Minister of Finance. Yet, contractors have allegedly been denied access to their legitimate entitlements, a situation AICAN says has now forced members to suspect “deliberate delay tactics and corrupt selective negotiations”

Signed by General Secretary, Ros Babatunde Seun, and National President, Mr. Jackson Nwosu, the letter demanded that all outstanding payments be released no later than Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Failure to comply, AICAN warned, would lead to the suspension of all engagements with the OAGF and the eventual shutdown of key government offices starting Wednesday, September 3, 2025.

“We have no choice but to completely shut down the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Ministry of Finance, and any other MDA found complicit in this betrayal,” the association declared, stressing its motto: “Injury to one is injury to all; injustice to one is injustice to all.”

The group maintained that there is no justifiable reason why indigenous contractors should be denied payments that have already been approved and finalized, accusing the OAGF of creating unnecessary bottlenecks.

With the ultimatum set to expire within days, attention now turns to the Accountant General’s office to see whether the government will move swiftly to avert what could become a major standoff with indigenous contractors across the country.