By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The management of Dangote Group has reacted to speculations that it had a hand in the fire outbreak at the Kogi State House of Assembly in the early hours of Monday, October 10, 2022, in Lokoja, the state capital.
In a statement issued by the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Mr Anthony Chiejina, the company described the allegation made by the Kogi State government as untrue.
An inferno completely destroyed the state parliament today. The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, claimed that the Dangote Group sponsored some arsonists to carry out the act.
He said the Kogi Assembly fire outbreak was “an attempt to possibly destroy evidence relating to the ownership tussle between the Kogi State Government and the Dangote Group over the Obajana Cement Company.”
But Dangote Group distanced itself from the fire, stressing that “as a socially responsible corporate entity, we totally refute this allegation and condemn this unprofessional and irresponsible attempt to smear our image before local and international investors and thus erode our brand value.”
“Dangote Group would never stoop so low as to sponsor thugs to destroy any property belonging to either government or any individual. This runs contrary to our business ethos and everything we stand for as a leading manufacturer with teeming customers and consumers across Nigeria and Africa.
“Our lawyers have been mandated to react appropriately to the damaging allegation from the Kogi State Government within the full extent of the law.
“We urge our stakeholders and the public to disregard such irresponsible and insane statements as we ask all our stakeholders, namely shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and the entire community of Obajana and Kogi State at large, to remain calm while we follow the legitimate and lawful process to resolve this matter with the state government,” the firm stated.
Dangote Group and the Kogi State government have been at loggerheads over the cement company in the Obajana area of the state.
Adedapo Adesanya