Professor Pat Utomi, a renowned professor of political economy, has accused former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, of revoking an OPIC agreement under what he described as questionable circumstances.
Utomi made the allegations on Sunday, responding to recent comments by Amosun regarding a Chinese company, Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd., which was embroiled in a legal dispute with the Nigerian government.
The controversy between Utomi and Amosun stems from a lease agreement Utomi entered into with the Ogun State Property Investment Corporation (OPIC) during the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel.
However, according to Utomi, Amosun, upon assuming office, voided the agreement, which led to financial losses and the eventual withdrawal of his South African business partners.
In a series of posts on his X (formerly Twitter) page, Utomi recounted his ordeal: “So it was Governor 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 also claimed that he had sought the intervention of high-profile political figures, including President Bola Tinubu and former APC leader Bisi Akande, but his pleas went unanswered.
“I took the case to APC leader, Bola Tinubu and Baba Akande. No result, I took it to Dapo Abiodun when he took over. Nothing came of it,” Utomi lamented.
Reacting to the allegations, Amosun issued a strong rebuttal, accusing Utomi of having an “entitlement mentality” and attempting to manipulate the situation for personal gain.
According to Amosun, Utomi had been blacklisted by the Ogun State House of Assembly before his tenure, and any consideration given to Utomi’s claims was purely at his (Amosun’s) discretion.
Amosun explained that after investigating the matter, his team concluded that the construction work undertaken by Utomi on the leased land was not worth more than N50 million. Despite this, Amosun said he offered a refund of N100 million, which Utomi allegedly rejected, demanding N200 million instead.
In his statement, Amosun said: “A few years later, he complained to some people with the sole intent to malign me. When I heard, I called to tell him off because his problem was purely one of entitlement mentality.
He even boasted, asking me: ‘Do you know who I am?’ Imagine.”
Amosun further criticized Utomi, drawing parallels between him and the Chinese firm Zhongfu International Investment FXE, which is involved in a legal dispute over an arbitration award that led to the seizure of Nigerian government jets.
“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 can not lay claims to any lawful damage done to his investment. All he has tried to do is a ‘me too’, which is very disgraceful,” Amosun concluded.
The exchange between the two prominent figures has sparked widespread discussion, particularly on social media, where Nigerians are debating the broader implications of leadership, governance, and the rule of law in the country.