The Kogi Government on Thursday expressed determination to recover Obajana Cement Plant from Dangote and his accomplices.

The government’s resolution is contained in the report of the Specialised Technical Committee on the Evaluation of the Legality of the Alleged Acquisition of Obajana Cement Company by Dangote Cement Company.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the detailed report, which was submitted to Gov.Yahaya Bello of Kogi in September.

The report was presented to the public by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Folashade Ayoade, on Thursday in Lokoja.


Ayoade said, “Recovery of the state’s Obajana Cement Company Plc from Dangote Cement Company Limited became imperative at this point in time.”
The SSG revealed with documents that the purported transfer of Obajana to Dangote Industries Limited was “invalid, null and void”.


She disclosed that in the report, three Certificates of Occupancy for Obajana Cement Company Plc, which was solely owned by the Kogi State Government 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 Obajana Cement Company from the Dangote Group.


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

“Kogi State Government should take steps to cancel the existing seven Certificates of Occupancy in the name of Dangote Cement Company.”
Stressing the aberration in the arrangement, the SSG said, “Agreement between Kogi State Government of Nigeria and Dangote Industries Limited, dated 30th July 2002.
“And, supplemental agreement dated 14th February 2003, as contained in Exhibit 71 of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report, purporting the transfer of Obajana Cement Company Plc to Dangote Industries Limited, are all invalid, null and void.

“There is no evidence of consideration paid by Dangote Industries Limited to Kogi State Government from the alleged transfer of Obajana Cement Company Plc and no dividend was paid to the state from the profits realised from the inception of Dangote Cement Company Plc to date…
“By the assignment of the three certificates of occupancy, the title in Obajana Cement Company Plc, still vests in Kogi State Government as the sole owner.

“The three documents were used to obtain a loan of sixty-three billion naira only (63,000,000,000.00) to finance the construction of the cement plant in Obajana.”
Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, specifically noted that the acquisition of the Obajana Cement Company by Dangote was without the resolution of the House of Assembly, which made the process null and void.

“It is clear that you cannot sell a state government property of any form without the resolution of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

“All the transfer process of the share capital to Dangote from Obajana by the previous administration was without any law backing it by the state House of Assembly,” Kolawole stated.

In his remarks, Gov. 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.

The governor, however, said that the state was open to discussions once Dangote Company Plc is ready to come clean.

“We received several petitions from the general public over this particular subject matter.

In the past five to six years, all efforts to sit with the proprietors of the Dangote Conglomerate failed.

“We set up a committee to look into this and invited the Dangote company to discuss with them and tell them the imminent dangers they are exposing the people to, but it all fell on deaf ears.

“I am here to defend my people, and from all reports, it is clear that Obajana Cement Company does not belong to Dangote,” Bello declared

.

https://punchng.com/kogi-claims-obajana-plant-ownership-dangote-man-kick/

This looks more like politics to me and the seeming hubris of the Dangote group just complicated things.

If the state government is acting this way it is actually indicting itself if no effort was made to ensure it gets its dues for years and can not take Dangote cement to court with those investigations and strong resolutions of KSHA..

Kogi state should appeciate the Dangote cement group too for not makijg Obajana cement another white elephant project like Ajaokuta steel complex project which had lingered since 1984.

This is an indigenous company and Dangote company should take the state govt summons serious now and in the future.
check my signature for free stuffs!

Somebody had coffee

Nice move.
How can one man be doing everything and also be a threat to others who does the same

Just like that!

That's why businessmen venture into political sponsorships. Atimes it determines their fate

G

Their problem,

Some things are not just true till you hear from both sides.

I knew this will happen

Una wahala

Good

Hmmm... While I commend Kogi government's bold step, caution must also be taken to avoid discouraging investments in the state.

Noted.

And so?

If it's a step in the right direction, then I'm in support. It's criminal to be evading tax riding on back of strong connects to people at the helms by Dangote.

Yahyah, if anything, appears to be displaying cojones here. Every governors should take a leaf.




Unrelated Note:

I have an iPhone 7 to sell, very clean, zero fault.
67k ZeroNineZeroTwoOne SevenSix EightZeroZeroEight

This is how they make their fake billions while mocking the Igbos the real billionaires without backdoor help.

We will soon recover our oil wells being illegally ceded to one Alakija,Adenugas and crook Dangote from there the level will be OK for all to play real ball.
Back door crooks.

Like for Peter Obi, Share for BAT

I smell fowl play here

In summary of everything I read here

1, the kogi state government is aware of the 63b and the three documents transfered.

2, the process was illigal and wasn't accepted by (a) people of Kogi (b) some house members who where not properly carried along.


3, the state government has no power to sell state Owned assets without the approval of the state house of Assembly (same applies to federal level)

Let them settle it amicably, I'm sure it provided work for the indigenous people.

Alright. . . . . . .Aje

Smile,d film just dey start. . . . . . .

Make we wait for time and more information.



Abeg

Yahaya Bello self

I usually wonder what gives him so much confidence and boldness.
Same way he locked so the telcos out of business in Kogi recently.

Now he's taking on Dangote.

Make Dangote throw small cash to yeye Bello to recover his presidential campaign fund now, the case go just die

ok this how dey discourage private investors if dem come relocate to Lagos people will be crying that Lagos is taking everything.....


Whereas na dere clueless Govt dey frustrate investors....

Crazy things are happening.

Hmm

Ok

WTF! In a sane country, Dangote ought to have been languishing in jail by now.

Dangote be like is this ment or malaria

They don't think their tenure is about to elapse and the person in question will make the deal with in coming administration which upon receiving their share things will normalise.