The management of Dangote Cement Plc in a statement has claimed that no fewer than 27 of its workers were shot on Wednesday after security agencies and acclaimed vigilantes on the order of the state governor, Yahaya Bello moved to forcefully shut its Obajana cement factory.
However, in contradiction, the Kogi State government said one person was shot during the chaos.
Governor Yahaya below has reiterated that the cement factory belongs to the state and the Dangote Group would have to acknowledge that and come to terms with the state’s demand.
Speaking when he presented documents from 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 to back the state’s claim to the ownership of the plant, Yahaya said the decision to seal the plant followed several petitions by members of the local community over marginalisation by the company.
The management of the firm, apparently through its GMD has vowed to take legal action over the invasion.
Dangote Cement Plc, in a statement titled, ‘Illegal Shutdown of Dangote Cement, Obajana Plant,’ and signed by its Group Managing Director, Michel Puchercos, said the armed invaders acted on a resolution of the state House of Assembly on controversial tax claims, which it added that the governor had contradicted when he said the shutdown was due to an alleged invalid acquisition of the company by Dangote Industries Limited.
Read also: Kogi’s Governor Yahaya battles Dangote over Obajana cement ownership
“In the process of forcefully evicting the workers to enforce the shutdown, the vigilantes shot at 27 of our workers and also destroyed some of the company’s property at the plant. We have taken steps to get the hoodlums apprehended by law enforcement agencies, and we will ensure that full legal action is taken against them.
“While we reiterate that Obajana Cement plant is 100% owned by Dangote Cement PLC, we remain resolute in transforming Africa, while creating sustainable value for our people, communities, investors, and customers,” the state partly read.
The state government has accused the cement company of distorting the facts and vowed to recover all accrued dividends from profits made over the years by the Dangote Group, including accrued interests on the same.
The Commissioner for Information, Kinglsey Fanwo, in a statement on Friday, titled, ‘Dangote is distorting facts – Govt,’ said the state had all the relevant documents to prove that the purported acquisition of Obajana (cement plant) by Dangote was null and void.
“We want to assure the good people of Kogi State that, with God on our side, what belongs to the state shall be recovered, including all dividends and interests on profits from inception till date. The Dangote Group is just distorting facts to save its face,” Fanwo added.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, has condemned the closure of the cement factory, adding that the action does not necessarily help the controversial issue of compliance on tax remittable to state government.
