‘I never had any business with Ogun State,’ Utomi counters Amosun

A political -economist, Prof Pat Utomi has refuted a claim by former Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, on a project in the state.

This is the latest in the back and forth between both men over a N200m contract revocation saga.

Responding to the ex-governor’s claims that he was blacklisted by the state’s House of Assembly, Utomi said he has never had any prior business dealings with the state government hence his shock at the claim.

Utomi refuted the claims during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday.

He said: “Why would I have been blacklisted? I have never had any business with Ogun that would have led them to whitelist not to talk of blacklisting me.

“As a matter of policy, I don’t do business at all with state governments. The only time it would become necessary is when it comes to land matters because the government is the sole authority over land matters in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: ‘He is not different from Chinese company behind seized planes,’ Amosun dismisses Utomi’s allegation of contract breach

“Why would the House of Assembly blacklist me? For what? I have never had any business transactions with Ogun State until that time. That is what frightens me why public officials can make such preposterous accusations against me I heard that statement for the first time in my life. If I was blacklisted, for what?”

“It is not just Ogun State. I pointed out that I have a book that was published a few months ago.

“I published several case studies in the book. One of the cases was exactly what was done in another state in Nigeria that led to a foreign company in South Africa, leaving the country which led to so much loss because the governor decided to play games after he left office. After I made the remarks, I was told that the former Ogun State governor came out with thoughts against me.

“And I then thought that this is another big problem with Nigeria, where people who have held public office do not have the discipline to speak basic simple truths in conversations.
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“The only time I have ever been in business with Ogun State was when we were trying to develop an agricultural value chain project.”.

By: Babajide Okeowo

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