reveals how ogun almost Lost a multi-billion naira investment | Provide proof of construction approvals, Amosun challenges Dangote
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has revealed how former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, demolished his multi-billion naira cement factory twice, forcing him to abandon the project.
However, Dangote praised the current governor, Dapo Abiodun, for creating a conducive environment that encouraged him to return and invest in the state.
Speaking during a visit to the state yesterday, Dangote recounted the painful experience of seeing his $585 million factory destroyed not once, but twice, under the previous administration.
“You need to have it on record that the factory we’re visiting now in Itori is here because of His Excellency, Governor Dapo Abiodun,” Dangote said. “We came back because of him.”
Dangote explained that the initial project, which began during Amosun’s tenure, was met with hostility. “We started building the factory, and Governor Amosun demolished it. The second time we started again, he demolished not only the factory but also the fencing. So, we left,” Dangote revealed.
The billionaire industrialist described the experience as a major setback for his company, the Dangote Group, which had already invested significant resources in the project. However, he expressed gratitude to Governor Abiodun for persuading him to return to Ogun State and resume the investment.
“Right now, we’re coming back because of His Excellency, my brother, Prince Dapo Abiodun,” Dangote said. “When we go there (the new plant), you’ll be very surprised.”
The new cement plant, which is nearing completion, is a state-of-the-art facility featuring two 6,000-ton-per-day clinker production lines. It covers the entire cement production process, from limestone crushing to packaging and shipping.
The plant is expected to begin operations next yearo and will significantly boost Ogun State’s economy by creating thousands of jobs and reducing Nigeria’s reliance on imported cement.
Meanwhile, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Governor of Ogun State, has rejected claims by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, that his cement factory was demolished twice during Amosun’s administration. Amosun described the allegations as deliberate misinformation.
In a statement titled “Re-Government Demolished My Cement Factory Twice,” issued by Lanre Akinwale on behalf of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun Media Office, the former governor challenged Dangote to provide the public with the necessary approvals for the construction of the structures he claimed were demolished.
Amosun emphasized that his administration operated on the principle that there could not be two governments in the state, and therefore, Dangote was not exempt from adhering to the law or operating under a separate set of rules.
“However, while we will wait to hear from him, we will like to state that not all Nigerians can be compromised, bullied or blackmailed. The notion that everyone has a price is an expression applicable only to people with weak foundations and questionable upbringing.
“This is why some of us will continue to uphold high standards in all our undertakings, irrespective of whose ox is gored,” the statement said.
The former governor, however, recalled that the same Dangote had, during the
commissioning of his Ibese Cement factory, “praised the Amosun Administration to high heavens for its promotion of investments in Ogun State and for facilitating the commencement of the cement factory after eight years of frustration as he then alleged by other administrations.”
The statement reads in full: “We have just seen a footage in which the Chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, alleged that his cement factory in Itori, Ogun State, was demolished twice while Senator Ibikunle Amosun served as governor.
“We assume that an average person understands how government functions through Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, with each exercising mandates on specific responsibilities, including approvals for physical development.
“It is on this basis that we want to appeal to Alhaji Dangote to avail the public of the requisite approvals for the construction of the structures he alleged were demolished.
“This will, at least, help the public to put the issue in proper context and for us to know what exactly his grouse is.
“For us, as a government, we believed that there could not be two governments in a state, and Dangote, therefore, could not operate above the law or under a different set of laws.
“It is important to note that at the commissioning of his Ibese Cement factory, Dangote praised the Amosun Administration to high heavens for its promotion of investments in Ogun State and for facilitating the commencement of the cement factory after eight years of frustration as he then alleged by other administrations.
“Dangote is just one of the many going concerns in Ogun State, and the Amosun Administration is on record to have attracted over 500 companies to the state and was acknowledged by the World Bank as one of the top three states ensuring Ease-of-Doing-Business in Nigeria.
“Highlighted as one of the top reforming states in 2014, which marked a significant improvement from its previous rankings, the World Bank report attributed this progress to substantial reforms across multiple indicators like Construction Permits and Property Registration.
“It is also on record that during Senator Amosun’s administration, Ogun State became the “Industrial Capital” of Nigeria. Our state at the time accounted for about 75 per cent of the Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), in relation to industry in the country. This is a fact subject to verification.
“This recognition was further given fillip to by former president, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, when he visited Ogun State to commission multinational projects on five different occasions.
“Thus, while we will not give vent to this obvious mischief as it is deliberate, we will advise Alhaji Dangote to furnish the public with details of the land acquisition with relevant planning approvals, and let us engage in a constructive conversation therefrom.
“However, while we will wait to hear from him, we will like to state that not all Nigerians can be compromised, bullied or blackmailed. The notion that everyone has a price is an expression applicable only to people with weak foundations and questionable upbringing. This is why some of us will continue to uphold high standards in all our undertakings, irrespective of whose ox is gored.”
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