The stakeholders in a release said on Monday that “every Nigerian is free to secure and execute contracts in Enugu State, so long as he or she has the capacity.”
Some Enugu State stakeholders have called for refund of any funds mismanaged by the Sujimoto Luxury Construction Company Limited in the N5.7billion contracts awarded by the state government, warning that the matter should not be turned to ethnic or political issues.
The stakeholders in a release said on Monday that “every Nigerian is free to secure and execute contracts in Enugu State, so long as he or she has the capacity.”
They accused the CEO of Sujimoto, Olasijibomi Ogundele, of “emotional manipulation” to wriggle himself out of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) net
They equally alerted the public to an alleged smear campaign against the EFCC and Enugu State government in a bid to stop the recovery of N5.7billion paid to Sujimoto for the construction of 22 out of the 260 Smart Green Schools embarked on by the Governor Peter Mbah administration.
In a press release issued by its spokesman, Prof. Martin Anikwe, in Enugu on Monday, they urged Ogundele to “return Enugu State’s money and save Nigerians his theatrics aimed at currying public sympathies.”
The stakeholders, however, maintained that such antics were “not any different from the culture of the Nigerian corrupt, who feign sickness, employ theatrics and cheap blackmail to evade justice.
They accused him of playing the victim in a straightforward case of refunding the N5.7billion received, while asking the EFCC to immediately commence assets forfeiture proceedings against the Sujimoto CEO to recover the funds.
“Ogundele, even by his personal admission in his initial video, accepted a N11.7billion contract in July 2024 to deliver 22 Smart Green Schools in six months – February 2025. He also received N5.7billion (tax inclusive), which is 50 percent of the contract sum.
“The question is, did he deliver on the projects? Did he even complete one out of the 22 projects? Did he also do any jobs remotely proportionate to money received? All he has to show for the N5.7bn are mostly foundation-level jobs done by quacks, as the pictures of the sites taken on 8th and 9th of May 2025 clearly show.
“Not only did he fail to deliver, he intentionally disappeared with the money and also refused to honour series of invitations by the Enugu State Government and subsequently by the EFCC.
“Meanwhile, the Smart Green Schools were intentionally designed to equip Enugu State’s children with 21st Century education and skill sets that would make them key players in the emerging global economy. In a country beleaguered by youth unemployment, internet fraud, and violent crimes, the real victims of Ogudele’s attempt to defraud Enugu State would be Enugu children and youths whom these projects would, in the nearest future, empower to be gainfully employed and kept away from a life of crime and criminality.
“Therefore, Ogundele should be made to refund the money to the last kobo,” the statement added.
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