Calls Intensify for Wale Edun and Accountant-General to Step Down Amid Unpaid 2024 Contracts

The Coalition for Equity and Accountability in Public Finance (CEAPF) has called for the immediate resignation of Finance Minister Wale Edun and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi, over alleged failure to pay contractors for fully executed projects included in the 2024 budget.

In a statement signed by its President, Segun Daramola, and Secretary-General, Isaac Idachaba, the group said it would petition the National Assembly to pass a vote of no confidence in the two officials if they refuse to step down voluntarily.

“This is no longer a simple administrative oversight; it is a deliberate neglect of duty,” the statement read. “Contractors have completed projects legally backed by the 2024 Appropriation Act, yet they remain unpaid and face financial ruin. Meanwhile, the Federal Government is funding projects not captured in either the 2024 or 2025 budgets. This is unlawful and unacceptable.”

CEAPF criticized what it described as a troubling trend in public finance management—where legally mandated obligations are ignored in favour of off-budget spending—warning that such practices erode transparency and public trust in the budgeting process.

“The foundation of democratic governance lies in adherence to the appropriation process. When ministers and senior officials disregard it, lawmakers must act to protect the integrity of their constitutional role,” the group stated.

Contractors nationwide have reportedly fallen into severe debt, many of them having taken loans at high interest rates to complete government projects. The coalition said the non-payment has triggered a wider economic ripple effect, hurting small businesses, suppliers, and workers who depend on the contracting ecosystem.

“Rather than stimulating the economy, government contracts under the current leadership have become a source of financial distress. Companies are folding, jobs are being lost, and banks are seizing assets. This is economic sabotage through negligence,” CEAPF asserted.

Describing the situation as both a financial crisis and a moral failure, the coalition insisted that resignation is the only responsible option left for Edun and Ogunjimi. Anything short of that, it said, would make a “mockery of accountability.”

“Our democracy cannot survive when the government routinely breaks its own promises. If contracts can be awarded and executed, but payments withheld while funds are redirected to unapproved ventures, what message does that send to citizens and investors? It signals lawlessness and disregard for due process.”

CEAPF also urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene, warning that the credibility of his administration’s reform agenda is at stake.

“The President has pledged fiscal discipline and reform. This is a crucial moment to uphold those promises. If his appointees cannot fulfil the basic duty of honouring the budget, then they should make way for those who can,” the group concluded.