An ally of Oyo State Governor, Otunba Seye Famojuro has been alleged to have chased out the company in charge of the renovation of Agbowo Shopping Complex from the construction site.
The Managing Director, Whitestone Global Investment Limited, Architect Oluwole A. Woleola, the company handling the renovation and remodelling of the complex accused Famojuro of chasing them out the site with the use of Operation Burst.
Speaking with Naijatoday, Woleola disclosed that his reluctance and firm stance not to regard Architect Toyin Owonubi of Connect Multiplus Construction Limited as project’s financier was on account of his failure to produce some documents which were in connection with Certificate of Incorporation, CAC Form 02, CAC Form 07, 3-Year Tax Clearance, Corporate TIN, 3 Years’ Statement of Accounts, Scuml Clearance From EFCC, BVN of Directors and Bank Guaranty to the tune of NGN5.2b respectively, had no doubt triggered their purported banishment from the site.
MD, Whitestone Global Investment Limited added that Arch. Toyin Owonubi, MD, Connect Multiplus Construction Limited, HFZ Office, Olatunji House, 299, Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Lagos had shown interest in being the main financier of the project but woefully failed to get it, sequel to his failure to provide the above mentioned documents which he claimed are the unavoidable prerequisites for the attainment of the project.
While going in a memory lane, Oluwole said that the Oyo State Bureau for Investment/Public Private Partnership(PPP) had on August 29th, 2019 invited the investing public to bid for the state government’s assets on a PPP within four weeks(August, 29 to September, 2019) while Agbowo Shopping Complex of 2.352 hectares located at direct opposite of University of Ibadan that had Ref No: BIP-PPP/01/02 on advertorial page of the newspaper was among those assets.
He said he was lucky to get the contract, as Governor Seyi Makinde on 23rd September, 2020 symbolically handed over Agbowo Shopping Complex on a long lease concession to Messrs Whitestone Global Investment Limited for #4.9 billion, as mandate centred on conversion of the moribund structure into premium commercial real estate and a 4-star hotel.
Adding that ,it was a funfair occasion where creme la creme in Oyo State’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies were in attendance to witness the event of how Governor Makinde delivered his speech and eventually handed over gold plated key of the new Agbowo Shopping Complex to him.
Woleola stressed that he equally wrote a letter of invitation to the members of family, friends and others who made sure they massively attended and witnessed how the complex was handed over to him.
He confirmed that he made sure that he followed due process while bidding for the project and precondition fee to the tune of #2m was paid to the cover of Oyo State Government via Oyo State Investment and Public Private Agency, OYSIPA where Hon.Segun Ogunwusi is the Director General.
Woleola reiterated that Seye Famojuro had been making life difficult for them, shortly after the project was handed over to them by the Governor, stressing that the matter became worse having turned down the request of Arch Toyijn Owonubi’s request to act as financier, sequel to his failure to present some documents and evidences associated with genuineness of the company.
He said that, sequel to Connect Multi plus Construction Limited’s failure to carry on the project, Arch Toyin Owonubi allegedly connived with Pavilion Engineering & Construction Company Limited to carry out some nefariously financial atrocities, having got Seye Famojuro’s nod.
Woleola said that despite the obvious perpetration of financial impropriety, Aduke Law Firm wrote a proposal for amicable settlement of dispute, that was offered at the instance of HE, just for peace sake and that the project could move forward, but all to no avail as DG, OYSIPA, Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi and Seye Famojuro were making frantic efforts to fan ember of discord between the duo.
He said that the project they had was in line with strict adherence to the rule of law, due process and payment of compulsory fee is now being challenged by Seye Famojure, in collaboration with DG, OYSIPA.
Woleola called on Governor Seyi Makinde to ensure he calls Seye Famojuro to order and retrieve business back to him for the sake of fairness, justice and equity.
While filing this report, all efforts were made to speak with Seye Famojuro to get his own side of the allegation being levelled against, text messages were sent to both his sms inbox and WhatsApp, also calls were put across to him but neither picked nor returned.
