Governor Abiodun seeks federal government consultation regarding the seized presidential jets, while Utomi challenges Amosun’s stance on the issue.
The Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, has made contact with the Federal Government in an attempt to settle the disagreement with Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. regarding the contentious Ogun Free Trade Zone.
According to reports, Abiodun sought the advice of senior federal officials on Thursday regarding a property deal that was allegedly cancelled by former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun. Pat Utomi, an expert in Political Economy and professor, made this accusation against Amosun.
Several officials from Ogun State, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, revealed that Abiodun travelled to Abuja last Thursday to hold talks with Federal Government officials regarding the seizure of presidential jets.
One of the top officials who is closely involved in this development stated that on Thursday, the governor traveled to Abuja regarding the matter. The state of Ogun is taking a leading role in ensuring prompt resolution of this issue.
The arrival of the Police Commissioner was witnessed at Ojota Park amidst the #endbadgovernanceinnigeria protest, as reported by Punch.
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Utomi and Amosun’s conflict over a cancelled property agreement exposed Abiodun’s attempt to settle the Ogun FTZ dispute.
On Saturday, Utomi expressed on X.com his personal experience as a sufferer of Amosun’s nullification of contracts previously agreed upon by Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
He recounted the hardships he endured to repay millions of naira in loans following allegations that Amosun had terminated his contract with the government.
Utomi responded to Amosun’s acknowledgement that canceling a contract during his term as the governor of Ogun state resulted in three presidential aircraft being seized by court order in Europe.
Recently, Zhongfu International Investment FXE – a Chinese company – has obtained a court order from France to confiscate airplanes in light of their ongoing business dispute with the Ogun government.
In 2016, Amosun had declared the cancellation of the agreement with a Chinese company after uncovering that their assertions were fraudulent.
Utomi commented on Amosun’s admission, stating that the seizure of jets from the presidential fleet was a result of his violation of contract terms signed by his predecessor. He sarcastically hoped that Amosun was happy with this achievement and believed it to be Karma at work.
Other individuals were also affected, not just the Chinese. There are reports that a well-known Ogun native took his own life in response to Amosun’s actions mirroring those of Mr. Amosun. Personally, I too suffered consequences as I had entered into a BOT agreement for OPIC land situated in Lagos during Governor Daniel’s tenure but this was terminated when Mr.Amosun assumed office and prohibited all such deals without exception. Upon questioning him about my case he replied stating that my name did not appear on the list supplied to him at that time.”
My mind raced, contemplating what Frieda must have gone through. I found myself in a similar situation – my weary business partners who owned a thriving chain of stores across Southern Africa and Asia left me alone to deal with the fallout. As I worked hard to repay the loans, I couldn’t help but feel envious of how much leverage our Chinese counterparts had; they took everything without batting an eye, leaving us all disgraced in their wake.
Amosun responded to Utomi’s statement on Sunday, claiming that the academician was requesting something impractical after the termination of their property agreement.
He clarified that Utomi’s investment in the revoked property did not exceed N50m. Additionally, he rejected an attempt made by the ex-presidential contender to coerce him into paying N200m.
Utomi was accused by Amosun of having an “entitlement mentality”. Additionally, the House of Assembly had blacklisted Utomi due to his alleged inclination towards shoddy deals.
On Sunday, Amosun released a statement addressing the post made by the well-known academic on his X handle.
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According to him, the Ogun State House of Assembly had branded Utomi as persona non grata before his tenure and included it in the state’s blacklist.
As I assumed the role of governor, my curiosity was piqued and prompted me to reach out to Utomi unpromptedly. Being a public figure myself, it struck me as odd that he remained unknown and thus sought clarification regarding this matter.
“Among other things, he informed me that there was a controversial ongoing construction in an Ogun State property,” he said.
Upon receiving the news, I promptly put together a team to inspect and assess the situation. After conducting their evaluation, my team determined that constructing in Ogun property’s car park on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Road in Lagos State would be unsuitable. As such, they recommended an alternative location instead.
However, he refused to consider another location as he believed that the current one provided better exposure. Following our internal evaluation, my team determined that he couldn’t have invested over N35m or at most N50m for construction expenses up until then. It was then I resolved to inspect the site personally.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the work purportedly done was hastily accomplished upon realizing that a different political party had triumphed in the governorship race and would assume control of leadership in the state.
It was clear that there was an attempt to ambush the state government during my term and present us with a fait accompli, which would have caused controversy about demolishing a project that was already underway.
To ensure that his investment in the state was not futile, I agreed to refund N100 million instead of his requested amount of N200 million. Despite constant pressure from him for the full sum, I held firm and did not give in.
In his efforts to persuade me, he utilized the Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL) and presented an award as a means of influence. Initially, I found it suspicious that after only serving in my position for approximately two years, I was being offered an accolade; therefore, I declined.
Despite my refusal to agree with his N200 million claim, he still urged me to attend the CVL Solution Conference Series as a sign of respect. I acquiesced and received recognition for taking part in the event, however my stance on refunding only N100 million remained unchanged.
The former governor added, “After some years had passed, he began to speak ill of me to others. His only goal was to tarnish my reputation. Upon hearing this news, I promptly called him out for his entitlement mentality issues and refused to engage further when he boasted with the question ‘Do you know who I am?’ This behavior exposed his true character which caused me not pay any attention towards him. In my perspective, everyone deserves equal treatment regardless of their status.”
I dare everyone, including reporters, to join me at the construction site and witness for themselves the supposed N200 million investment made there. Additionally, they ought to inquire about how this project would contribute positively towards Ogun State.
I cannot be persuaded to compromise my integrity for the sake of appearance. My service to Ogun State was marked by fervent dedication, and I carried out my duties with unwavering confidence. I fully support every choice that I made, regardless of whether individuals such as Pat Utomi shared the same views.
Utomi is aware that there was no foundation for his case. He shares similarities with Zhongfu International Investment FXE and acknowledges that he cannot seek compensation for any lawful harm caused to his investment. His attempt to imitate others’ actions by crying “me too” is shameful.
According to the ex-governor, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. was a fraud and their contract termination complied with existing regulations, as supported by court decisions in favor of the state.
According to him, if Nigeria intends to improve as a nation, it is imperative that every Nigerian be subject to the same law regardless of their social status, religion or ethnicity. He emphasized that for Nigeria to attain greatness and progress as desired by its citizens; leaders must be held accountable for all actions taken.
He stated that it would be unfortunate if Nigerians were to let themselves be fooled by misinformation, mischaracterization and questionable stories heard at night.
