By Muideen Olaniyi


The Presidency, on Monday, intervened in the struggle for ownership of the Dangote cement factory in Obajana, Kogi State.

Daily Trust reports that the meeting at the Office of Chief of Staff to the President in Presidential Villa in Abuja was attended by the President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa).

A reliable source in the Presidency confirmed the meeting. Our reporter also saw the governor of Kogi State heading towards the Chief of Staff Office shortly after attending the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Presidential Campaign Committee at the Banquet Hall of the State House.

The intervention came after the decision of Kogi State government to shut down the Obajana factory last week over allegations of tax evasion and unresolved ownership.

Already, the management of Dangote Group is said to have concluded plans to approach the court this week over the legality of the Kogi state’s vigilante members who reportedly stormed the Obajana cement factory, where many of the company’s staff were allegedly wounded and the facility shut.

The Kogi State Government, last Thursday, presented to the public, the report of the Specialised Technical Committee on the Evaluation of the Legality of the Alleged Acquisition of Obajana Cement Company Plc by Dangote Cement Company Limited.
The detailed report, submitted to Governor Yahaya Bello, was presented to the public by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. (Mrs) Folashade Ayoade.

Citing documents, she revealed that the purported transfer of Obajana to Dangote Industries Limited was “invalid, null and void”.
Ayoade disclosed in the report that three Certificates of Occupancy for Obajana Cement Company Plc, which the Kogi State government solely owned at the time, were used to obtain a loan of N63billion by Dangote.

According to her, the committee, in view of its findings, has therefore recommended that Kogi State should take steps to recover the Obajana Cement Company from the Dangote Group.

The committee, chaired by the SSG, also recommended that the “Kogi State government should take steps to recover all accrued dividends from profits made over the years, including accrued interest on the same.

In his remarks, Governor Yahaya Bello said that he had taken the bold step, in line with his mandate to safeguard the lives and livelihood of the people of Kogi State, including residents and to ensure their wellbeing.

Bello said this was also coming on the heels of protests by the people of the state who felt they had been suppressed and marginalised by the Dangote Group who had come to rip them off.

But the management of Dangote Cement Plc in a swift reaction to the actions of the Kogi State government debunked the claims.
Group Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, Michel Puchercos said: “We reiterate that the Obajana Cement plant is 100% owned by Dangote Cement PLC.”

In forcefully evicting the workers to enforce the shutdown, the vigilantes shot 27 of our workers and destroyed some of the company’s property at the plant.”

https://dailytrust.com/obajana-standoff-yahaya-bello-dangote-meet-at-aso-rock


Nlfpmod

Nice. It is actually necessary to try mediation by a party they both trust and respect.

DIL will still have problem in the future if it does not address this issue equitably. Where is the 10% share that belongs to Kogi and if it has been forfeited by Kogi, DIL must provide the proofs.
check my signature for free stuffs!

Dangote has run to baba Bubu

Dangote finally meets a mad man

That is exactly what Yeye Bello wants. Opportunity to sit with Africa's richest monopolistic man

This is when Yahaya bello thinks Dangote should bow for him simply because he is a governor of Lokoja


He is about to get served and be punished for is ignorance

The crisis is unfortunate, sad, annoying and bad for business and the image of Nigeria. All parties should please do better.

Other than Dangote cement, Kogi is an industrial graveyard. The state government should be encouraging investment and not taking antagonistic stand against investors. Hopefully, common sense would prevail at the end of the day and all issues will be mutually resolved.

seunmsg:
The crisis is unfortunate, sad, annoying and bad for business and the image of Nigeria. All parties should please do better.

Other than Dangote cement, Kogi is an industrial graveyard. The state government should be encouraging investment and not taking antagonistic stand against investors. Hopefully, common sense would prevail at the end of the day and all issues will be mutually resolved.

Just be talking about everything with no general direction. Must you post about everything? You just have to chook mouth. Opeauxnous.