Obajana dispute: Kogi accuses Dangote Cement of plotting harassment of government officials

The Kogi government claims it has uncovered plans by Dangote Group to cause chaos amid the ownership tussle between the company and the state.

TheCable reported that the state government and the company have been at loggerheads following a move to seal off the Obajana cement plant. 

In a statement on Saturday, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information, said the company has resolved to fight the state government by altering agreement papers.

Fanwo said the company also plans to deploy the media against the state government and initiate legal proceedings against certain government officials. 

“A top Management Staff of Dangote Group erroneously called a top Government official as the meeting was going on to hatch their satanic plans against the Government and people of Kogi State,” the statement reads. 

“The call which came in at 10:06 pm went on for 28 minutes, 12 seconds, detailing how they intend to doctor documents to prove they own the cement company 100 percent; how they intend to use the DSS and other security agencies to arrest top Government Officials on frivolous charges; how they intend to use the EFCC to arrest some Government officials in order to cow them down; how they also intend to use the media to promote falsehood against the Government and people of Kogi State and sundry other satanic plans against the people and Government of our dear state.

“We make bold to say that if the Dangote Group attempts to carry out any of his threats or deny our claims above which are supported by facts, we will release visuals and audio of the said meeting and the whole world will see the mindset and modus operandi of Alh. Aliko Dangote and his conglomerate. We are a people that cannot be destroyed by the whim and caprices of the capitalist dominance that the Dangote Group stands for.

“We call on security agencies to be on red alert to forestall any breakdown of law and order. It is our wish to ensure the agitation to reclaim our equity at Obajana is non-violent as we have all that is required to win the battle. Security agencies should resist the temptation of being used by the Dangote Group to be used to harass officials of Government and our people as hatched at the ill fated meeting.”

The commissioner also alleged that the company intends to “block all major highways” in the state with its trucks, in order to “cow the state government into submission in the ongoing ownership determination battle”.

Folashade Ayoade, secretary to the state government (SSG), had earlier announced the commencement of the process to recover the cement plant from the Dangote Group.