By ADEROGBA GEORGE

The National President of the All Indigenous Contractors Association of Nigeria (AICAN), Mr Jackson Nwosu, has called on the Federal Government to urgently clear outstanding payments owed to contractors.

Nwosu made the appeal on Thursday in Abuja during a medical outreach organised to mark the association’s one-year anniversary of advocacy for the payment of contracts executed by its members.

He said prolonged delays in payment had subjected many contractors to severe financial hardship and health challenges.

According to him, the association deliberately marked the anniversary with a health assessment because several members had developed stress-related illnesses, while others had died from complications linked to hypertension and abnormal blood sugar levels.

“We organised this health assessment to enable our members know their health status through proper medical examinations conducted by doctors, optometrists and other healthcare professionals.

“We believe that early detection and proper management of health conditions will help prevent avoidable deaths among our members,” he said.

Nwosu said the association’s one-year advocacy had yielded some positive results, with a number of contractors receiving payments for completed projects.

He, however, noted that much remained to be done, as many members were still being owed for jobs executed between 2024 and 2026.

According to him, several contractors financed government projects through bank loans and are now struggling with rising interest rates and debt recovery pressures from financial institutions.

He added that some members had already lost properties due to their inability to meet loan repayment obligations.

Also speaking, the Vice President of the association, Mr Ode Agada, said many members had developed serious health complications, including high blood pressure and heart-related ailments, while others had died due to financial stress linked to unpaid contracts.

He commended the medical personnel involved in the outreach, noting that participants received valuable guidance on managing their health and preventing avoidable deaths.

“The medical personnel have been tremendous. They have given us useful advice, especially at a time when many contractors are under serious financial and emotional stress due to unpaid jobs,” he said.

Agada said the health check was organised to help members know their health status and take preventive measures against sudden deaths recorded within the profession.

Agada, however, attributed delays in payment to the current centralised payment system, under which disbursements are processed through the Federal Ministry of Finance.

He said the association had engaged the Minister of Finance and other government officials on the matter, but many contractors were still awaiting payment.

He argued that the former decentralised system, under which Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) processed payments directly, was more efficient and reduced delays.

Agada urged the Federal Government to expedite action on the settlement of all outstanding contractual obligations, saying this would ease the financial burden on indigenous contractors, enable repayment of bank loans, and safeguard businesses and livelihoods.

A medical practitioner, Dr Karen Ogunowo, who also participated in the outreach, advised members to prioritise their health and manage stress effectively.

She said the exercise aimed to raise awareness on preventive healthcare and encourage participants to take greater responsibility for their well-being.

According to her, the medical team conducted blood pressure and blood sugar tests, while also providing health education on healthy living and disease prevention. (NAN)

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