SUJIMOTO CEO IN HOT SEAT OVER ENUGU’S N5.7BN SMART SCHOOL PROJECT

What was meant to be a bold leap into the future of education in Enugu has now spiraled into a storm of controversy.

The Enugu State Government is accusing luxury developer and CEO of Sujimoto Construction, Olasijibomi “Sujimoto” Ogundele, of vanishing with billions meant for the state’s flagship Smart Green Schools project.

The deal, signed in July 2024, was worth about ₦11.45 billion. To speed up the work, the state reportedly released half of the sum—₦5.7 billion—to Sujimoto as a mobilization fee.

The schools were supposed to be ready within six months, but by mid-2025, most sites were either abandoned or stuck at the foundation stage, with inspectors raising red flags over “quack workmanship and failed structures.”

Angered by the slow pace and alleged fund diversion, the government petitioned the EFCC, which has now declared the developer wanted.

Officials also pointed to irregularities in the contract, saying payments were funneled through the wrong account in what they describe as a premeditated scheme.

But Sujimoto is not going down quietly. In a viral video, the businessman tearfully rejected the fraud allegations, blaming the setback on economic shocks—like the jump in cement prices from ₦7,000 to ₦10,000—and security hurdles that, according to him, made the sites unsafe.

He insisted he is “neither a thief nor a fugitive” and vowed to meet investigators to clear his name.

The state, however, isn’t buying his defense. Commissioner for Information, Malachy Agbo, dismissed his statement as “crocodile tears,” stressing that every kobo must be recovered.

Meanwhile, Enugu has already reassigned the abandoned projects to new contractors, with a vow that students will step into the promised schools by September 2025.

The unfolding drama has thrown up questions about governance, accountability, and the high stakes of outsourcing billion-naira projects to private firms.

#EnuguNews #SujimotoScandal #SmartSchoolsProject #EnuguState #N5_7BillionFraud #EFCC #EducationInNigeria #Accountability #PublicFunds #GoodGovernance #NigeriaNews #AntiCorruption