Ogun Guangdong FTZ Dispute: Governor Abiodun’s Controversial Role – Seun Okerayi

For days now, since the news of the seizure of 3 aircrafts belonging to the Nigerian presidential fleet in France and Switzerland following a court order granted Zhongshan, a Chinese company embroiled in a long-standing legal dispute with Ogun State over the management of an export processing zone. The Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone located in Igbesa. Ogun State.

The genesis of the ongoing controversy bothering on the Ogun Guangdong Free Trade Zone which was established in 2008 was as a result of the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration’s painstaking efforts to drive in investors into the state after Nigeria and the Chinese governments signed a bilateral agreement on investment, trade and other issues of common interest.

The media space have been flooded with opinions and commentaries with many speaking from either lack of knowledge about the subject matter or deliberate falsehood trying to insulate the present governor of Ogun state Prince Dapo Abiodun from the national embarrassment.

Is it not mischievous that the present government in Ogun State is mixing up facts by falsifying the background activities that led to the establishment, operations and the success so far recorded from this commendable achievement by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration.

Till now there are absolutely no issues on the establishment processes of the Ogun Free Trade Zone as attested to by Senator Ibikunle Amosun himself who admitted he made a costly mistake by engaging a company, ZHONGFU to manage the zone after Otunba Gbenga Daniel handed the reign of government to him. The OGD administration did not sign any contract with ZHONGFU, rather had an MOU with China African Investment Company (CAIC) which was already in full operations with well over 30 companies before it was handed over to the Senator Amosun government. Note that as at today, over 40 companies are still operating in the zone and both Ogun state and Federal government are beneficiaries of taxes running into millions of dollars.

ZHONGFU, as admitted by Senator Amosun came into the picture when he was ill advised by members of his administration which strangely was led by the current governor of Ogun state Prince Dapo Abiodun. As it is, the media should dig and expose the roles played by the current governor of Ogun state on the legacy projects embarked upon by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration and he should provide us with facts as to why Dangote Refinery was relocated to Lagos, the Olokola Free Trade Zone and deep sea port abandonment, why the Gateway International Cargo Airport was not touched by the Amosun government even when all that the project required was award of contracts to erect structures since the needed International and Federal required approvals were obtained, and up to 70% of the project already activated by the Senator Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration.

At the point when ZHONGFU secured the Arbitration judgement, the current governor who took over the administration of the OGFTZ and have appointed a substantive chairman was tardy in his response and failed to quickly seize the window of appeal until it lapsed. He should be asked why the judgement was ignored and the Federal government misled.

The statement by Otunba Gbenga Daniel on the matter should be seen as the voice of an elder statesman, having carefully seen the mistakes by his successors, rather than apportioning blames and openly admitting the errors committed by his successors handling these matters chose to advice a diplomatic solution at the highest level of both National governments involved. Put differently he felt that washing those dirty linen in public will not help our case and our country in resolving and effecting the required damage control even at international levels. One wonders why this is difficult for intelligent and discerning minds to appreciate.

Going by the above, it is crystal obvious that the current governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his handlers are swimming in the muddy waters they dug in their many futile attempts to defame and stigmatize the laudable achievements of the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration. By the way, why are we still referring to the projects of the OGD administration ? Simply put, those that came after him are yet to even meet up with them, talk more of embarking on legacy projects that will impact the people of Ogun state.

“The evil that men do lives after them” Shakespeare used this quote to allude to the nature of legacies, particularly as it comes to Julius Caesar and Brutus. Prince Dapo Abiodun will one day atone for all the economic and infrastructural destructions he caused Ogun State. It is only a matter of time.

Seun Okerayi writes from Abeokuta.