An early morning fire suspected from an explosion rocked the Kogi State House of Assembly complex located at Crusher Area, Lokoja even as the battle for ownership of Obajana Cement Company rages.
Kogi State government on Wednesday invaded and shut down the company bought in 2002 by Dangote Industries owned by World’s richest black person, Aliko Dangote.
The ownership tussle had led to accusations and counter-accusations from both sides to the crisis with the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly claiming that the reported buy-over of the facility by Dangote Industries did not go through the House of Assembly and that there was no documentation of the transaction in the Assembly’s archives.
The fire ripped through the roof of the Chamber, causing extensive damage to the floor of the house.
The Speaker of the house, Mathew Kolawole, and the state security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omodara, were among the early callers at the assembly complex.
As of the time of filing this report, no one has been able to ascertain the source of the fire.
The Speaker of the Assembly said that he suspects sabotage but fell short of where the suspected sabotage might be from. The PUNCH reported.
Asked whether it might have been linked with the recent happening between the Assembly and Dangote group, he said that that is left to the security to determine. He told The PUNCH
“We should leave security people to do their work and give us a report going forward,” the speaker said.
However, a source who does not want his name in print said he suspected an explosion but couldn’t say who might be responsible.
Earlier, while commenting on the Obajana Cement Company ownership tussle, the Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, said the acquisition of the Obajana Cement Company by Dangote was without the resolution of the House of Assembly, which rendered the process null and void.
“It is clear that you cannot sell a state government property of any form without the resolution of the Kogi State House of Assembly.
“All the transfer process of the share capital to Dangote from Obajana by the previous administration was without any law backing it by the state House of Assembly,” Kolawole stated.
The fight between the Kogi State Government and the management of the Dangote Group over the ownership of the Obajana Cement Plant continued because both parties insisted that the plant belonged to them.
Governor Yahaya Bello had on Thursday said the state government would be ready to negotiate with the company once the firm was ready to admit that the plant belonged to the state. However, the company still insisted that the cement plant was 100 per cent theirs.
Dangote Group, in a statement, had said, “While we reiterate that Obajana Cement plant is 100 per cent owned by Dangote Cement Plc, we remain resolute in transforming Africa, while creating sustainable value for our people, communities, investors, and customers.”
However, the state government accused the cement company of distorting the facts and vowed to recover accrued dividends from profits made over the years by the Dangote Group, including accrued interests on the same.
The government on Saturday said it had uncovered certain plans by Dangote Group to “cause chaos across the state as a counter-attack against the decision to get its own legally-supported equity from Obajana Cement Company.”
A statement by the state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said the latest strategy “stems from frustrations occasioned by the failure of the Dangote Group to misinform the general public and its shareholders as the state government has consistently and continuously presented the facts of the matter to the public.”
He said a top management staff of Dangote Group called a top government official as a meeting was ongoing to hatch their plans against the state.
The call was reportedly made at 10.06 pm and went on for 28 minutes and 12 seconds. Fanwo said the official detailed how the company intended to doctor documents to prove they owned the cement company 100 per cent.
However, Dangote Group, in a statement said the state government used vigilantes to inflict “enormous damage” on the plant staff and factory in Obajana on Wednesday during the alleged “invasion”.
The statement by a member of the Dangote’s media team, Mr Sunday Esan, was titled, ‘Kogi Government vigilantes inflict enormous damage on Dangote Cement in Obajana’.
Esan said, “Destruction of the company’s assets, wounded staff from gunshots, and violation of the fundamental human rights of staff and commuters are some of the fallouts from the invasion of the Dangote Cement Plc by Governor Yahaya Bello’s extra-judicial forces popularly referred to as ‘Government Vigilantes or Government Hunters’.
“Over 500 government vigilantes invaded the Dangote Cement Plant located at Obajana on Wednesday at the behest of the state governor and forcefully shut down its operations.
“Cement trucks were also burnt, and many others were vandalised, as they forcefully hijacked Dangote buses and vans. Market and business activities have been brought to a standstill since the attack.
“No fewer than 27 Dangote staff are currently in bad condition after they were shot at by the invaders.”
Esan also noted that a 45-year-old staff member, Mr Tijani Mukhtari, was now battling for his life following the attack as he was slated for emergency surgery to remove the pellets lodged in his body.
Another staff member in the transport section of the Dangote Cement Plant, Aminu Sarki, 43, was said to have been shot in the leg and was in critical condition.
