There was a mild drama on Tuesday, December 9, at the House of Representatives as lawmakers reportedly walked out of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, during a closed-door session convened to address delays in the release of funds for zonal intervention projects.

A lawmaker present at the meeting told Channels Television that Adedeji was asked to leave the session after members accused him of “arrogance” in the manner he responded to their inquiries.

Naijaonpoint understands that the executive session was held against the backdrop of weeks of complaints from members over stalled budgetary disbursements that have left contractors unpaid across several constituencies.

According to the lawmaker, the House had repeatedly queried the delays, noting that the impasse was already affecting project execution nationwide.

During the session, the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, was said to have briefed the lawmakers on steps being taken to address the backlog of payments.

The source disclosed that Edun assured members that the 2024 budget “must be fully funded within 48 hours”, a commitment aimed at clearing outstanding obligations tied to constituency and intervention projects.

He reportedly added that the 2025 budget would be extended to April, with 30% of funding set to commence immediately, while another 20% would be released before the end of December.

The assurances, however, did not fully calm the lawmakers, who insisted that the commitments must be implemented before the House proceeds with any further budgetary processes.

According to the lawmaker, members resolved that the House “will not receive the 2026 budget until all outstanding issues are resolved as promised by the Minister.”

The incident, which saw the FIRS chairman escorted out of the session, underscores rising tension between parliament and key fiscal agencies over delays that have slowed constituency projects and strained relations in recent weeks.

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