By Uboh-Ekong Treasure
The Enugu State Government has accused Olasijibomi Ogundele, founder and Chief Executive Officer of luxury real estate firm Sujimoto Construction Ltd, of diverting ₦5.7 billion released for the construction of 22 Smart Green Schools across the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Dr. Malachy Agbo, the state revealed that the contract, valued at ₦11.4 billion, was awarded to Sujimoto on July 2, 2024, with a six month completion timeline. To fast track delivery, the government released ₦5.7billion representing 50 percent of the contract sum as an advance payment.
According to Dr. Agbo, the government’s inspection teams, alongside operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), discovered that most of the school construction sites were abandoned, with little or no work done despite the huge payment.
“Our findings revealed a pattern of deliberate diversion of funds. The performance bond presented by Sujimoto was of no effect since payments were routed into another account. This project was designed to fail from the beginning,” the commissioner said.
The state said it has reassigned the projects to other contractors and vowed to recover every kobo allegedly misappropriated.
Following a formal petition from the Enugu State Government, the EFCC has declared Ogundele wanted for alleged fraud and money laundering. The anti-graft agency is currently tracing the disbursed funds, reviewing contract documents, and taking statements from parties involved.
Ogundele, who has denied wrongdoing, released a video message claiming that delays were caused by economic challenges, including foreign-exchange volatility, rising material costs, and manpower shortages. He maintained that his team had mobilized to sites and incurred significant expenses, insisting he is ready to resolve the matter through legal means.
