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Pat Utomi tried to hustle N200 million from me with fake leadership award: Ibikunle Amosun

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Former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has alleged that political economist, Pat Utomi, organised a fake leadership award to extort N200 million from him as a way of getting a refund of the investment he claimed to have lost during his tenure in office.

Mr Amosun’s accusation was in response to Mr Utomi’s “snide remarks” about him on X on Sunday, where he slammed the former governor for violating the contract signed by his predecessor, Gbenga Daniel, with a Chinese investment group in 2007 out of malice.

Following the comment, Mr Amosun said Mr Utomi was only sulking because he refused to feed his entitlement mentality, stating that the professor’s N200 million claim shares similarities with that of the investment group, Zhongfu International Investment FXE.

Sharing his side to the story, the senator said upon his assumption into office as governor in 2011, he found out that the state house of assembly had already blacklisted Mr Utomi as a personal non grata and named him an enemy of the state.

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“Before I came into office, the Ogun State House of Assembly had passed a personal non grata on Utomi, and put its resolution in the state’s black book. So, I was curious when I became governor and called Utomi to ask what the issue was. This was entirely at my discretion and not because he reached out to me. But I reckoned that as one with some degree of name-recognition, that should not be, and I wanted to know what happened,” Mr Amosun explained.

He said Mr Utomi, “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,” said Mr Amosun.

He explained that, “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,” he added.

He stated that the move by Mr Utomi was an attempt to ambush the state government under his watch and presenting his administration with a Fait Accompli, which he described as a situation that would have led to controversy about demolition of an on-going project.

Mr Amosun further revealed, “just so that his investment in the state would not go to waste, I committed to making a refund of N100 million as against his claim of N200 million. He pressured me ceaselessly to pay him N200 million, but I did not yield.”

“As part of his determination to sway me, he deployed his Centre for Value in Leadership, CVL, through the instrumentality of an Award. At first, it all looked curious that I’d just been in office for about two years, and here I was being given an award, so I rejected it.

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“But he insisted that I honour his CVL SOLUTION CONFERENCE SERIES with my presence, which I did, and I was given a plaque for participating. But I did not change my position on the refund of N100 million as against his N200 million claim,” he narrated further.

Mr Amosun said Mr Utomi complained to some people few years later with the intent to malign him, stating that, “when I heard, I called to tell him off because his problem was purely one of entitlement mentality,” adding that, “He even boasted, asking me: ‘Do you know who I am?’ Imagine! But I ignored him because I immediately saw through his true colour. In my book, it’s one law for everyone, no matter who you are.”

The former governor challenged anyone to meet him at the construction site to see the said N200 million investment Mr Utomi claimed to have made there, as he wondered what benefit the project would have been to the state.

He said, “Nobody can talk me down in order to look good. I served Ogun State passionately with all my strength, and I did with my shoulders high. I stand by every decision I took, whether or not people like Pat Utomi were in agreement with me.

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“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,” the senator added.

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Change Negative Narrative About EFCC Being Used For Settling Political Scores- Reps

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………Ask Anti Graft Agency To Fight Financial Crimes Within Established Laws

.
……My Staff Are Poorly Paid, EFCC

…., States Why Fight Against Yahoo Boys Fierce

 

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The House of Representatives has tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to purge itself from the negative impression that its being used to settle political scores and concentrate fighting financial and economic crimes within established laws.

The House handed the advise on Tuesday through the Chairman House Committee on Financial Crimes Honorable Ginger Onwusibe who led members of the committee on the 2024 oversight exercise on the commission.

The oversight covered extensive facility tour of departments and critical operational units of the antigraft agency.

In his terse remarks, Hon. Onwusibe challenged the agency to improve its operational activities in combating economic and financial crimes by complying with its 2004 Establishment Act and other relevant applicable laws like the Money Laundering ( Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022: Terrorism ( Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022: The Proceeds of Crime Act. 2022, as well as other statutes, that compels it to carry out these roles transparently with accountability and show that the negative maxim being peddled in some quarters that the agency is often being used for settling political scores is incorrect .

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The committee assured that it will collaborate with the commission to actualize its mandate by enacting new laws or amending old ones and as well providing budgetary interventions, if it must strive tirelessly to be on top of its challenges

The House urged the agency to collaborate with sister agencies and desist from keeping suspects as- awaiting ‘trial in correctional centres nationwide

“At this point let me add that a recent visit to the Maximun and Minimun Correctional centres in Kirikiri Lagos State, numerous suspects have been awaiting trial for over one year and yet we are all acquainted with the saying that justice delayed is justice denied”

” It is on this note that we call on the EFCC, Attorney General of the Federation and the Judiciary to improve and ensure the administration of justice works and is efficiently delivered to the victims”

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The House warned the agency to purge itself of rotten eggs in order to fight economic and financial crimes frontally, thereby stimulating the Nigerian economy

It also urged EFCC to focus properly on its mandate.

” The issue of appropriate and proper focusing on the mandate of the EFCC must relentlessly be on the front burner:

“Orders from competent courts , arrest and debt recovery must be pursued religiously” the House cautioned

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But on its side, the antigraft agency said it has not deviated from its focus but rather working hard and fighting financial and economic crimes as enunciated in its mandate.

Chairman of the agency , Ola Olukeyede told his guest in his remarks during the oversight visit that the commission was doing much to fight financial and economic crimes and stimulate the Nigerian economy

He said so far that the agency has recovered over N250bn cash, tens of million of Dollars and other foreign currencies, with over 3000 convictions: 17000 petitions while also investigating over 20000,with about 4000 fresh cases , all being handled by a misery number of staff strenght

He noted that its priority is to improve the country’s image and stimulate its economy, such that there could be improvement in foregin direct investments and stimulation of the local economy.
Olukeyede however, argued that the agency needed more staff strenght, funding , better renumeration for staff because they were poorly paid. He also emphasised on modern day technology to fight the ever dynamic cyber criminals

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According to the EFCC boss, it was important to give more salary to EFCC staff and deploy modern technology to fight emerging cyber crime dynamism . He expalined that the agency has increased efforts to fight Yahoo, yahhoo, boys because of their ability to crumble any economy within a twinkle of an eye

According to him, the agency was expanding its drag net to focus on ministries, departments and agencies infrastructural projects. ” “Go to MDAs and see their budget implementstion. It is not up to 20%”

“We want to ensure 50% infrastructural development” the anti graft boss announced, insisting that it would henceforth encourage monitoring of project implementation which was an aspect of preventing financial crimes

He said the agency has dismissed lots of erring staff, and will continue to dismiss and even prosecute them going forward.

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Olukeyede disclosed that it had designed a template on staff integrity, using the Gift- Policy model

.” It is not every thankful gift we should collect” the EFCC boss warned

” I am advocating for more welfare improvement, better welfare, he said.

“We will do more recoveries, more convictions, but we need more resources to do our work, maintaining that, that was his stand on ethics and integrity .

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Olokeyede’s demand for more salary wage for staff of the commission, is seen as an incentive to boost welfare and morale to fight financial crimes to standstill.

He stated that there was the utmost need to increase salaries of staff of the commission

The EFCC boss who spoke on his stewardship in the last one year, further added that it increased the war against Yahoo- Yahoo boys because of the consequences of their nefarious acts which could crumble a nation’s economy in a jiffy.

He argued that more technology was required to fight financial crimes.

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For instance he explained that it was a common scenario then for thieves and armed robbers to attack and break into banks with guns and Dynamites

” But it is the same common and more easier scenario and task now to have Yahoo-Yahoo boys and bank thieves attack banks with technology in the comfort of their homes or hideouts”

“So we need technology and we also need to increase our fight against these Yahoo boys who can dismantle any economy within a twinkle of an eye

He called on the national Assembly to improve and increase its finances because fighting Financial crimes was a herculean task that requires adequate funding

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Olokeyede who apparently was responding to criticisms of the commission’s over concentration on Cyber crimes/ thieves, perpetrated by Yahoo boys, said he has made tremendous impact in enforcement, investigation and conviction with an outstanding record convictions between October 2023 when he was appointed till date

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Trouble looming for Obaseki as Gov Okpebholo orders probe of his admin

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has ordered the setting up of a committee to probe the immediate-past administration of Godwin Obaseki for its failure to inaugurate 14 Edo Assembly lawmakers-elect into the 7th Assembly.

Okpebholo disclosed this while giving his inaugural speech as the new governor of the state.

Governor Okpebholo also ordered the State Chief Judge to immediately investigate the initial delay of former Governor Obaseki to inaugurate duly-cleared judges by the National Judicial Council (NJC) last year

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Naira may depreciate to N1,993 against dollar – Report

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Nigeria’s naira has been projected to depreciate further to N1,993 per dollar in the coming days.

This is according to BMI, a Fitch Solutions subsidiary report title, ‘Weak Naira and Structural Challenges to Constrain Nigeria’s Medical Devices Market Growth’.

The report said the forecasted depreciation will be predicated on the 95 percent dependence on imports for pharmaceuticals in Nigeria.

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According to the report, the development would erode both the health system and patient purchasing power.

“We expect that the naira will end 2028 at N1,993/$ from N306/$ in 2018.

“As the naira weakens, the cost of importing medical devices will continually increase, eroding both the health system and patient purchasing power, especially to invest in essential medical technologies given the underfunding of the public health sector,” the report stated.

This comes as Naira fell to N1681.42 and N1735 at the official and parallel foreign exchange markets on Monday.

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This comes as FMDQ FX transaction turnover dropped significantly from $1.4 billion on Friday to $471.5 million on Monday.

Last Thursday, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, said the country’s external reserves rose to $40 billion.

Despite Central Bank of Nigeria’s interventions and external reserves rise in the last months, the naira has continued to experience fluctuations in the FX market.

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