The government alleged that Ogundele’s company failed to deliver quality projects and abandoned the sites. A joint team of officers from the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the sites and found minimal to no significant work done.
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Ogundele wanted over alleged diversion of funds and money laundering.
Reacting in a viral video, Ogundele denied any wrongdoing, citing inflation and prolonged delays as challenges. He claimed he undertook the project with utmost sincerity.
“I’m not a thief, I’m not a fugitive,” he said, insisting that he undertook the project with utmost sincerity but lamented that inflation and prolonged delays worsened the situation.
The information commissioner accused the entrepreneur of “premeditated fraud,” explaining that while he presented a bond issued by Jaiz Bank to secure the contract, he used the company’s Zenith Bank account registered with the state’s Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to receive the said payment.
The information commissioner said the strategy made it impossible for the state government to hold Jaiz Bank liable.
He said the contract, worth N11.4 billion, was awarded to Mr Ogundele’s firm on 2 July 2024 for the construction of the schools within six months starting from the date of the acceptance of the award.
“The Enugu State Government paid the sum of N5,762,565,475.25, representing 50 per cent of the contract sum, in order to fast-track the projects at all the sites.
“Rather than play to the rules of the contract to deliver quality projects for furnishing and equipping ahead of September 2025 school resumption, in line with the priority placed on the Smart Green Schools initiative by the government, Mr Ogundele resorted to shoddy jobs and the use of inexperienced workers and quack engineers.
“None of his sites met the structural integrity of the projects as specified in the structural drawing.
“Worse still, he vanished into thin air with the money. All efforts made by the government to get him to a roundtable to discuss the quality and progress of work proved abortive,” Agbo said.
In addition, Agbo said accused the contractor of ignoring periodic projects briefing organised by the state government or respond to calls.
“In fact, he practically abandoned the sites, leaving the Enugu State Government with no other choice than to petition the EFCC to recover the funds paid to him.
“A joint team of officers of the Enugu State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the EFCC visited the 22 sites to evaluate the progress of work on May 8 and 9, 2025, where it was clearly established that there had been minimal to no significant work done at the said sites one year after the contract award,” he said.
He added, “In some cases, he fraudulently did not do excavation for all the blocks in site.”
“The government has since retaken and handed over the sites to new firms, who have no choice than to start the construction afresh.
“Nigerians should therefore disregard his theatrics and crocodile tears, as Enugu State Government is determined to and will surely recover every penny of Ndi Enugu fraudulently obtained by Mr. Olasijibomi Ogundele (Sujimoto).”
