Amosun Accuses Pat Utomi of Shoddy Business Deals, Defends Contract Termination

• Senator Ibikunle Amosun accuses Pat Utomi of having a history of questionable business practices, leading to his blacklisting by the Ogun Assembly
• Amosun refutes Utomi’s claims, asserting that the contract termination was justified due to fraudulent claims by the Chinese firm involved

Former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has responded to Professor Pat Utomi’s recent allegations, accusing Utomi of having a history of questionable business practices that led to his blacklisting by the Ogun State House of Assembly during Amosun’s tenure.

Utomi had previously recounted how he struggled to repay millions of naira in loans after Amosun allegedly cancelled a contract he held with the Ogun State government. He also claimed that a prominent Ogun State indigene committed suicide after a similar contract cancellation under Amosun’s administration. These statements were made in reaction to Amosun’s comments on the ongoing arbitration and legal disputes between the Chinese firm Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Ltd and the Nigerian/Ogun State governments over terminating a contract at the Ogun/Guangdong Free Trade Zone.

The contract, initiated in 2007 during the administration of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, was terminated in 2016 under Amosun’s leadership. Amosun explained that the contract was cancelled after the Ogun State government discovered the Chinese firm’s false claims.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Amosun fired back at Utomi, accusing him of harbouring a sense of entitlement and still resenting Amosun for not indulging it. Amosun asserted that the Ogun State House of Assembly already blacklisted Utomi before he became governor due to Utomi’s alleged penchant for “shoddy business deals.”

Amosun stated, “Before I took office, the Ogun State House of Assembly had declared Utomi persona non grata and listed him in the state’s black book. When I became governor, I was curious about the issue. I reached out to Utomi—not because he contacted me, but because I wanted to understand what had happened given his public profile.”

Amosun recalled that Utomi had mentioned a controversial construction project on an Ogun State property in Lagos. After sending a team to investigate, Amosun said they found the construction to be in an inappropriate location—a car park on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Road in Lagos. The team suggested an alternative site, but according to Amosun, Utomi’s case lacked merit.

In his defense, Amosun emphasized the importance of applying the law equally to all Nigerians, regardless of status, religion, or tribe, to improve the country. He cautioned against allowing misinformation and “dubious tales” to shape public opinion and insisted that he stood by every decision he made during his time as governor.

“Nobody can talk me down to make themselves look good,” Amosun concluded. “I served Ogun State with passion and integrity, and I hold my head high for every decision I made, whether or not people like Pat Utomi agree with me.”