- ‘It’s Karma At Work’, Utomi Reveals How Amosun Cancelled N200m Contract
- ‘You Have No Case, Ogun Assembly Blacklisted You As Enemy Of State’, Amosun Fires Back
The recent contract dispute between Ogun State Government and a. Chinese Firm, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd. has thrown up fresh controversies.
In the latest installment in the ongoing issue, former Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and Political Economist, Pat Utomi are currently engaging in a war of word over contact revocation.
Recently, a Paris court ordered the seizure of three jets belonging to the Nigerian government over a dispute involving an arbitration award in favour of the Chinese firm whose contract was cancelled by Amosun for allegedly presenting false information.
Lending his voice to the debate, Utomi on Sunday revealed how he also fell victim of Amosun’s violation of contract terms.
The political economist said he had leased Ogun State Property & Investment Corporation, OPIC, land in Lagos in a BOT agreement under ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel.
However, Utomi said Amosun stopped the contract after he was sworn in as the governor.
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In a post on his X handle on Sunday, Utomi said it was Amosun’s violation of contract terms signed by his predecessor that brought the shame of seizure of Nigerian presidential jets, describing it as ‘Karma at work’.
He said: “So it was Gov Amosun’s violation of contract terms signed by his predecessor that brought the shame of seizure of jets from the Presidential fleet.
“I hope he is happy at his achievement’. The whole matter is Karma at work. The Chinese were not the only victims.
“One prominent Ogun indigene allegedly committed suicide with similar Amosun action. I too was a victim. I had leased OPIC land in Lagos in a BOT agreement under Gov Daniel.
“Amosun stopped all such on being sworn in. I called him. He said he did not see my name on the list. I went to Abeokuta and he called in Yewande Amusan who said mine was a straight forward deal they did not include it.
“He asked that all be included but mine be quickly sorted. That began a rigmarole that went on for years.
I made another trip to Abeokuta. He drove me back to Lagos at the wheels with my driver trailing along with the escorts and sirens. He had earlier asked that I make a request for refund of what I paid even though my South African partners and I had invested N200m in addition to the lease amount at the time.
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With just two of us in the car he advised I make a claim for N100m and write for additional payments the day after I cash the cheque. It was surreal but if I got nothing more it would be better than being in court until we both retire.
I took the case to APC leader BAT and Baba Akande. No result. Took it to Dapo Abiodun when he took over. Nothing came of it.
I wondered what enemies were going through.I lost my weary SA partners who owned a successful regional chain across Southern Africa and Asia.
I licked my wounds and slaved to pay off the loans. The Chinese had better leverage. They took it and all are shamed.
My new book Power Policy Politics and Performance documents a similar case study in Enugu involving SA investors as the gubernatorial batons changed hands. When shall we learn. Values shape human progress” he wrote.
Firing back, Amosun, in a statement on Sunday, said before he became governor, the Ogun assembly had blacklisted Utomi as “an enemy of state as a result of his predilection for shoddy business deals in the state”.
Amosun said he contacted Utomi shortly after assuming office to find out what happened to his business with the state government.
“Before I came into office, the Ogun state house of assembly had passed a persona non grata on Utomi and put its resolution in the state’s black book,” the statement reads.
“He, however, told me, amongst other things, that there was an ongoing construction in an Ogun state property that had become controversial.
“I immediately raised a team for verification and to know what to do. The team I sent said the land was inappropriate because the said construction was being done in the car park of the Ogun property on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Road in Lagos State. My team then suggested somewhere else.
“But he didn’t want another place because, according to him, the place in question gave more visibility. After our in-house assessment, my team concluded he could not have spent more than N35m, or at most, N50m, on the construction as of then. At that point, I decided to visit myself.
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“In addition, it was discovered that the so-called work done was hurriedly executed in the wake of the realisation that another political party had won the governorship election and would take over the reins of leadership in the state.
“It was also obvious that what was being attempted was a move at ambushing the state government under my watch and presenting us with a Fait Accompli, a situation that would have generated a controversy about the demolition of an ongoing project.”
The former governor added that Utomi pressured him for a refund of N100 million for his investment.
“Nobody can talk me down in order to look good. I served Ogun State passionately with all my strengths, and I did with my shoulders high,” Amosun said.
“I stand by every decision I took, whether or not people like Pat Utomi were in agreement with me.
“Utomi knows his case did not even have any legs to stand on. He is not different from Zhongfu International Investment FXE.
“He knows he cannot lay claims to any lawful damage done to his investment. All he has tried to do is a ‘me too’, which is very disgraceful.”
