The Senate has intensified pressure on the executive arm of government by issuing a one-week deadline to explain the massive nationwide debt backlog owed to local contractors. Lawmakers have constituted an ad-hoc panel to confront the Ministry of Finance over delayed capital project payments that are currently crippling infrastructural development across Nigeria.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the setting up of the six-member liaison committee following an overwhelming voice vote by lawmakers during a plenary session. The legislative inquiry comes amid rising complaints from contractors who have executed federal projects but face prolonged payment delays, resulting in inflated costs and stalled critical infrastructure.
According to an official statement, the newly formed committee must submit its comprehensive findings within seven days. The investigation will focus heavily on evaluating the federal government's current reimbursement plans and identifying existing bottlenecks within the national treasury.
Senator Sani Musa, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, was appointed to lead the investigative panel. Other lawmakers named to the committee include Senators Adetokunbo Abiru, Kawu Sumaila, Abubakar Sani Bello, Isah Jibrin, and Abdullahi Yahaya.
Akpabio directed the panel to quickly interface with the Finance Ministry, noting that the report must clearly establish the absolute volume of the debt backlog, current recovery measures, and the prospects for immediate payments.