Prominent professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, has shared how he lost his South African business partners and struggled to repay millions in loans after former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun allegedly canceled a contract he had with the Ogun State government.
Utomi made these revelations while responding to Amosun’s statement on the controversial arbitration and legal matters between the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co Ltd and the Federal Government of Nigeria/Ogun State Government over the termination of a contract at the Ogun/Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
The contract was originally initiated in 2007 during Governor Gbenga Daniel’s administration but was terminated in 2016 under Amosun’s tenure. Utomi compared Amosun’s cancellation of his contract with the government to the way the former governor dealt with the Chinese firm.
Utomi also alleged that a prominent indigene of Ogun State committed suicide due to the cancellation of a contract under Amosun’s administration.
He expressed his frustration on his X handle, criticizing Amosun’s handling of contracts and recounting his own experience.
“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,” Utomi wrote.
He further detailed his ordeal: “I had leased OPIC land in Lagos in a BOT agreement under Gov Daniel. Amosun stopped all such deals when he took office. When I called him, he claimed he didn’t see my name on the list. Despite assurances that my situation would be resolved, it led to years of bureaucratic delays.”
Utomi narrated how Amosun personally drove him back to Lagos, advising him to make a claim for N100 million as a partial refund, despite having invested over N200 million with his South African partners. However, the situation remained unresolved, leaving Utomi to bear the financial burden alone.
He also noted that he had sought help from APC leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Baba Akande, and later Dapo Abiodun, but to no avail. Utomi lamented the loss of his South African partners and the impact of the ordeal on his business.
Reflecting on the situation, Utomi mentioned that the Chinese firm had better leverage and were able to fight back, resulting in the seizure of Nigerian jets and a national embarrassment.
