Political economist Pat Utomi has refuted allegations made by former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who accused him of having an “entitlement mentality” and engaging in corrupt practices.
In an interview with News Central, Utomi strongly condemned Amosun’s claims, calling him a “desperate and lying politician.”
Amosun had alleged that Utomi attempted to extort N200 million from him under the guise of organizing a leadership award during his tenure as governor.
Utomi told News Central on Sunday, “He (Mr Amosun) said that I was one of those ‘entitlement’ people wanting government to give me. I don’t do business with governments. Go and check; I’ve never done business with government just because I hate the business of bribes.
“Only when it comes to land where you have no choice, government is the only one who has the authority to issue certificates of occupancy. Check my business career, nothing with government.”
Speaking further, Utomi stated, “So, for him to say ‘entitlement’ and government, it’s very funny because the irony there is that when Lagos state came back to democracy, the governor then (Tinubu), who is in Abuja now, had me helping out. I used to organise quarterly retreats for the government. I charged Lagos state government nothing.
“In fact, I can tell you one particular three weeks stretch (sic), I did a retreat for a well-known bank, charged them over N20 million, did for NIMASA, charged them over N20 million, did for Lagos state government, charged them zero. The man in charge was Yemi Cardoso who is governor of central bank. He can corroborate that anytime.”
“So, to wake up and Amosun decides that I’m ‘entitlement’ trying to use influence, it’s so preposterous, I don’t even know where to start to look at the issue. But it shows the character of our politicians and what they try to invent,” he added.
He also denied being declared persona non grata by the Ogun House of Assembly, attributing such claims to the desperation of Nigerian politicians.
Utomi concluded by expressing concern over the impact of such political behavior on Nigeria’s investment climate, stating, “It shows you how they can say anything in their desperation. It’s really sad for the country. That’s why investors are worried about Nigeria.”
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