THE indigenous contractors under the aegis of the Association of Nigerian Contractors (ANC) have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct the immediate payment of the funds owed them since January 2024 to enable them celebrate the fast-approaching yuletide with funfair.
The ANC, through the Chairman, Chief Tobiloba Durojaiye, yesterday in Ilorin during a chat with reporters, said the approaching yuletide would be a bleak one for his members who are allegedly paying heavy interest rates on the borrowed money they allegedly used to execute the Federal Government’s projects allotted them through due processes.
“We have never had it so bad with the Federal Government until recently when we are owed money over successive projects we had carried out since year 2024 till date. The most pathetic development with that is that we went to obtain lifelines in the commercial banks with heavy digits as interests, hoping to defray such with our funds with the Federal Government. None among us ever envisaged that the government would not pay us our money for so long a period of time.
“But all efforts we had put in to get our money with the government have been futile. We have sold our property to feed our families and sustain our lives. As I speak with you, we will have nothing to fall back on if we are not promptly paid the said money. Christmas is approaching now, we don’t know what to do to survive its celebrations with families and friends,” he said.
Durojaiye, while lauding the new tax schemes of the government of Tinubu, believed that the policies scheduled to kickstart in the year 2026 may not hit the expected targets if the contractors are not promptly paid the money.
According to him, “the humongous taxes from the contractors would not be released into the coffers of the government and this may pose serious threats to the expected income from Mr President’s taxations belief.”
To clear the Federal Government indebtedness, Durojaiye suggested prompt payment via reasonable tranches as the consequences may impede on 2026 Capital Projects.
