By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
ABEOKUTA: Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has dismissed as deliberate mischief, claims by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that his cement factory was demolished twice during the Amosun Administration.
Aliko Dangote, had during his visit to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Monday said that his company decided to return and invest in Ogun State because of Abiodun administration’s vision and deliberate policies that focus on attracting investors as well as the investor-friendly climate that exists in the state.
The industrialist claimed that left the state after Abiodun’s predecessor, Amosun pulled down his cement factory in Itori, Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, even as he also recalled that he abandoned his vision of investing in the Olokola Free Trade Zone (OKFTZ) at Ode – Omi, Ogun Waterside because of the hostile policies in place.
According to Dangote, he has elected to return with his investment because of Abiodun’s policies and investor-friendly environment.
He said: “I will like to commend in a special way my good friend and brother, your Excellency,the governor of Ogun State, for your vision, and deliberate policies that focus on attracting enterprises through an immense support for the private sector which is now attracting investors.
“Our factory at Itori was pulled down twice. When we started the second time, they did not only demolish the factory, but also the fence, so we left. But right now, because of his Excellency, our governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, we are back. When you get to the factory, you will be surprised at what we have done.
“We earlier on abandoned our vision of investing in the Olokola Free Trade Zone (OKFTZ), but because of your policies and investor-friendly environment, I want to say we are back and are going to work with the state government and return to Olokola and plans are underway to construct the largest port in the country.”
He said the company’s ongoing projects in the state comprised two new lines of 6.0 million metric tons per annum cement plant that had been constructed at Itori, while the 12 million metric tons per annum cement plant is also domiciled at Ibeshe.
The Chief Executive assured that the total capacity of the company’s cement plants in the state when completed would be in the neighborhood of 18 million metric tons per annum, making it the highest cement producing state or region in Africa.
“With the contributions of other cement producers in the state, Ogun remains far ahead of other countries across Africa in terms of cement production,” he said.
However, responding through a statement, titled, “Re-Government Demolished My Cement Factory Twice”, signed by Lanre Akinwale, for Senator Ibikunle Amosun Media Office, the former Governor challenged Dangote to “avail the public of the requisite approvals for the construction of the structures he alleged were demolished.”
Amosun noted that his government 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.
“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.”
