Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has approached the Federal Government to help resolve the ongoing dispute with Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. over the controversial Ogun Free Trade Zone (FTZ).
Governor Abiodun met with top federal officials in Abuja last Thursday to discuss the matter, as confirmed by multiple Ogun State officials who requested anonymity.
The dispute centres on a recent French court order that allowed the Chinese firm, Zhongfu International Investment FXE, to seize three Nigerian presidential jets as part of a business disagreement with the Ogun State government. The conflict dates back to 2016, when former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun cancelled the contract with Zhongfu, claiming the company made false representations.
The efforts to resolve the FTZ dispute have coincided with a public spat between Amosun and Professor Pat Utomi, a renowned political economist. Utomi accused Amosun of revoking a property deal he had with the state government, which led to significant financial losses.
In a series of posts on X.com, Utomi alleged that Amosun’s decision to cancel contracts signed by his predecessor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, caused him severe financial hardship, including the loss of business partners and the burden of repaying loans. Utomi’s comments were in response to Amosun’s admission that his cancellation of the Chinese firm’s contract led to the seizure of the presidential jets in Europe.
Amosun, in turn, accused Utomi of making unreasonable demands following the revocation of the property deal. He claimed that Utomi had not invested more than N50 million in the property and had attempted to pressure him into paying N200 million in compensation. Amosun also revealed that the Ogun State House of Assembly had previously blacklisted Utomi over alleged shoddy business practices.
Amosun defended his actions, stating that he acted in the best interest of Ogun State and that the cancellation of the Zhongfu contract followed due process, backed by favorable court judgments. He criticized Utomi’s response as driven by an “entitlement mentality” and vowed to stand by his decisions while in office.
