Italian Businessman
Domenico Gitto, whose company’s donation of a church to President Goodluck
Jonathan led to a deep seated controversy, died yesterday in Nigeria, according
to reliable sources. Gitto, the owner of Gitto Construzioni Generali Nigeria Limited,
died in yet unclear circumstances, but a source said he had been having debts
troubles for sometime owing to the huge debt piled up by his company in
Nigerian banks.
“The company has been having legal battles with many Nigerian
banks over failed debts,” the source said.
Among the banks Gitto was said to owe is Union bank.He was said to
owe Union bank about N10bn.
The bank was reported to have seized some of Gitto’s property,
especially his company’s equipment.
Gitto was also said to have been sued by Diamond bank for a debt
of N6bn, while FCMB was said to have written to the Federal Ministry of Works
asking that all money to be paid Gitto by the ministry be paid to the bank over
a N5bn debt owed it.
All Gittto’s company’s debts were alleged to be bad loans as the
company had failed to meet its obligations to the banks involved and a lot of
people believed Gitto agreed to build the “church gift” edifice for Jonathan in
Otueke in order to curry favours from the President and probably find a way out
of his debt woes.
Gitto’s history with Nigerian top officials began in 2003 when he
first arrived in the country on the alleged invitation by former Vice-President
Atiku Abubakar and he had since enjoyed government patronage for major
constructions projects, building major edifice like the Abuja Ecumenical Centre
and the Akwa Ibom State Airport.
The company is handling over 12 Federal Government projects which
include a section of the Abuja-Lokoja Road, the Shagari Presidential Complex
and the East-West Road and with the death of Mr. Gitto, the fate of all these
hangs in the bal-ance.