By Everest Ezihe, Abuja
The Association of Royal Traditional Rulers of Nigeria has condemned the recent blockading protest against the Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance Dr. Mrs. Doris Anita Azuogu, over an alleged non-payment of their accumulated years of federal government contracts execution, describing the action as unwarranted and untimely.
The royal fathers disclosed this after their crucial meeting on Wednesday in a press statement signed by HRH Alhaji Usman Nga Kupi (Sapayi of Garki) and His Imperial Majesty Eze, Dr. T. A. Obiefule, the Chairman/National Secretary FCT, Abuja and The President, National Association of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria respectively.
According to them, “the nation’s indigenous contractors should have exercised patience.
The 2026 appropriation budget was just recently passed by the national assemblies and from every indication, it’s not the fault of the Minister of State for Finance for the non-payment of the accumulated debt owed to them by the nation’s previous administrations.
“In all sincerity, their transferred aggression is totally unfair to the Minister who have shown high level of competency, patriotism, accountability and transparency. They were just unfair to the innocent lady.
“Moreso, we learnt that the Minister has been sympathetic, empathetic and compassionate towards their plights and have been making frantic efforts on their behalf. It baffled us that these contractors bluntly refused to obey the voices of reasoning despite frantic efforts, appeals and advises of exercising little patience.
“As patriots and revered traditional rulers, we have intervened on their behalf and we are quite aware that the Federal Government have advanced plans to commence the payments.
“It’s a gospel truth that some of our relations and kinsmen are involved in the non-payment of the outstandings. In all honesty, the last Monday protest and blockade is totally unfair and unnecessary. They merely added insult to an injury” they decried.
The group passionately advised the indigenous contractors on the need to give peace and stability a chance and channel their grievances appropriately.
They also enjoined them to jettison abusing the law and due process, insisting that Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s administration is a humanistic, compassionate and listening government.
On the clarion calls by a cross section of Nigerians for Tinubu to vie for second tenure, the traditional rulers described the calls as germane noting that the administration has done wonderfully well especially in the areas of infrastructural developments and transformations, arresting of insurgencies and insecurities etc.
The royal fathers further applauded the Nigerian security agencies for their frontier efforts in fighting insurgencies and insecurities, while calling on every Nigerian to be security conscious by saying something if they ever see something.
