PROTESTS: Contractors’ group throws weight behind Uzoka-Anite
By Dickson Omobola
Body of indigenous contractors and economic advocates, the Coalition for Sustainable Fiscal Reform, CSFR, has thrown its weight behind the Minister of State for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite.
This move comes after recent demonstrations at the Federal Ministry of Finance, during which there were calls for the resignation of Uzoka-Anite.
CSFR, however, argued that the calls were unnecessary, as the Ministry was currently undergoing a “necessary surgical transition” from decades of erratic payment cycles to a permanent and transparent framework.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr Ridwan Kadiri, noted that the Minister of State recently assumed her portfolio at a time when the nation’s debt management required a foundational reset.
Kadiri said: “The frustration felt by our colleagues is valid, but the target of their protest is misplaced. We are witnessing a move away from ‘surface-level solutions’, those temporary palliatives that have historically failed to end the cycle of debt. Instead, the Minister is implementing an organic solution that addresses the problem from the root. This ensures that once a contractor is paid, the system is strengthened to prevent future arrears from ever accumulating again.”
The coalition pointed to the Minister’s insistence on a rigorous verification exercise as a protective measure for genuine indigenous businesses. They argued that by de-bottlenecking the system, the Ministry is ensuring that the N152 billion recently disbursed reached the hands of those who have actually delivered on their projects, rather than “ghost entities” that have historically drained the treasury.
The group added: “Dr Uzoka-Anite has brought a culture of accountability that was previously missing. To demand a resignation at this critical junction of reform is to invite chaos. We cannot afford to restart the clock now when the machinery for sustainable payment is finally being calibrated.
“We are calling for a truce. Let the street protests be replaced by boardroom engagement. The Minister of State has shown the political will to face a problem that many of her predecessors ignored. We owe it to the stability of the economy to allow these organic reforms to mature. A sustainable future for Nigerian contractors is within reach, but it requires the steady hand currently at the helm.”
They, however, reaffirmed commitment to monitoring the disbursement process, promising to work closely with the Ministry to ensure that the “Root-to-Branch” reform benefits every legitimate contractor across the federation.
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