A former governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has responded to allegations made by Professor Pat Utomi, claiming that the Ogun State Government under Amosun’s administration violated contract agreements.
Utomi had alleged on his social media account that the state, during Amosun’s tenure, failed to honor an agreement involving Zhongfu International Investment FXE, among other issues. In a detailed statement released on Sunday, Amosun dismissed these claims, accusing Utomi of having an entitlement mentality and engaging in influence peddling.
Amosun stated that Utomi’s recent remarks stemmed from his refusal, as governor, to meet Utomi’s demands, which Amosun described as unreasonable. According to the former governor, these demands included honouring a deal involving a construction project on an Ogun State property located on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Road in Lagos. The project, Amosun said, had already been deemed inappropriate by a team he had sent for verification.
The controversy dates back to when Amosun assumed office as the governor of Ogun State. Upon taking office, Amosun was informed that the Ogun State House of Assembly had declared Utomi persona non grata due to alleged questionable business practices. Amosun, however, decided to reach out to Utomi to understand the issues surrounding the designation. He discovered that Utomi was involved in a construction project on a property owned by Ogun State, which had become controversial.
Amosun explained that his administration conducted an in-depth assessment of the project. The findings revealed that the construction was taking place in an area designated as a car park, making the location unsuitable for the intended development. Despite the state’s offer to relocate the project to a more appropriate site, Utomi reportedly rejected the proposal, citing the high visibility of the original location as crucial to his plans.
Amosun narrated that after evaluating the situation, his administration estimated that Utomi had invested between N35 million and N50 million in the project, a figure far below Utomi’s claim of N200 million. In an effort to avoid conflict, Amosun offered to refund N100 million to Utomi, which the latter rejected, insisting on the full N200 million.
To persuade Amosun, Utomi invited him to participate in an event hosted by his Centre for Value in Leadership (CVL), where Amosun was honoured with an award. However, Amosun maintained that the award was an attempt to influence his decision regarding the refund. Despite the award, Amosun stood by his initial offer, which further strained relations between the two.
Amosun accused Utomi of subsequently launching a smear campaign against him, telling others about the supposed injustice in a bid to tarnish his reputation. Amosun, however, dismissed Utomi’s complaints as baseless, attributing them to what he termed Utomi’s “entitlement mentality.”
Amosun also addressed Utomi’s reference to Zhongfu International Investment FXE, a Chinese firm that had previously accused the Ogun State Government of breaching contractual agreements. Amosun likened Utomi’s allegations to those made by Zhongfu, suggesting that Utomi was attempting to exploit the situation to gain sympathy.
According to Amosun, Utomi’s claims have no legal standing and are simply an attempt to align himself with Zhongfu’s grievances. The former governor expressed his confidence in the actions taken by his administration, emphasizing that all decisions were made in the best interest of Ogun State.
In his statement, Amosun emphasized the importance of applying the law equally to all Nigerians, regardless of their status, religion, or tribe. He argued that the only way for Nigeria to progress as a nation is for leaders to be held accountable for their actions. Amosun warned that allowing individuals to mislead the public with false narratives could have detrimental consequences for the country.
