Federal Ministry of Finance Protest: As the Contractors Block Minister, Gunshots Are Heard In Abuja
There was tension at the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja on Monday as protesting local contractors blocked the entrance of the complex, preventing the Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka Anite, from gaining access to the building.
The Federal Ministry of Finance protest was organized by aggrieved contractors demanding payment of debts owed by the federal government.
The protesters, operating under the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), sealed the ministry gate and insisted that no official should enter until their demands were addressed. When Doris Uzoka Anite arrived, security operatives attempted to force a passage for her, but the Federal Ministry of Finance protest intensified as demonstrators resisted the move.
According to several eyewitness reports, the situation became chaotic during the standoff, with a gunshot reportedly heard as security personnel tried to disperse the crowd. The incident further heightened tension at the Federal Ministry of Finance protest, drawing attention from passersby and workers in the area.
The contractors said the protest is part of a wider struggle with the government over unpaid obligations running into hundreds of billions of naira. In December, participants in the Federal Ministry of Finance protest blocked entrances with a coffin, demanding payment of over N500 billion allegedly owed to them.
Many protesters carried placards stating that banks no longer trust government projects because contractors are not paid. Others shared emotional accounts of colleagues who reportedly died by suicide due to severe financial pressure linked to unpaid contracts.
They argued that rising inflation has eroded the value of the money owed but insisted the government must still honor its commitments. Some protesters described the situation as more than unfair, openly calling it “fraud” and warning that delays are crippling small businesses nationwide.
The contractors also recalled a similar disruption in November when they stormed the National Assembly. That action, linked to the Federal Ministry of Finance protest, reportedly led to a one-week suspension of parliamentary activities over claims that budgeted funds for 2024 and 2025 were being withheld.
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