Our Dangote, Their Dangote!
By Yousouf Adeku Abdulkadir
Truth be told.
Kogi State Government cannot reclaim the Obajana Cement factory from the Dangote Group. They have a valid legal document backing their acquisition. At least the 90%. And have actually invested billions into it. It is not justice to just wake up one day and claim it is yours when the agreement is in black and white.
The best bet is for the State government to seek to know what happened to their 10% and reclaim it back and then go for the income meant for it from the 10%. That is going to run into hundreds of billions. High stake moves…higher stake politics. Anything is possible. Even GYB got his price…his personal price.
That is a story for another day.
Today? I am concerned about Dangote. Our Dangote. Their Dangote.
The Obajana Cement Company is one of Dangote’s golden goose. It is the largest cement plant in Africa with 16.3 Mta of capacity across four lines. You do expect that the people in that community would feel it’s impact too. That the state would be better off too. Unfortunately with Dangote it is not the case.
Our Dangote.
Our workers are forced to settle for lower wages and benefits. No health insurance scheme. The Staff hospital there is a mere consulting clinic. Have you seen how the staff are transported in the staff buses like the Fulani cattle on a long journey from Sokoto to Lagos for slaughter! They can’t go on strike. Theirs is to just work and die. The company has wreck havoc on the environment. Depleted farm lands, poor farm yields due to environmental pollution and chemical emission.
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Dangote within the framework of its CSR budget built 2 blocks of three classrooms in Kogi State since 2017 and has a yearly scholarship scheme which is at One million naira per annum. It also constructed and equipped a primary health centre for the community.
In addition, youth leader and women leaders are being paid N30, 000 each per month. Just as secretary is on N20, 000 per month and the Oba on N150, 000 per month.The company maintains 56 soldiers and 145 policemen and men of vigilante on her payroll to provide security within the factory environment. The company spends an average of #5 million per month on security.
Their Dangote.
Built an Operating Theatre and Diagnostic Centre worth N7 billion in Kano. Built 1,000 bed hospital in Kano worth N2 billion. Donated $2 million to the World Food Program. Donated N50 million to community leaders in Jos after the ethno-religious crisis. Donated fully equipped rooms with capacity for housing 2160 students built at a cost of N1.2 billion to ABU Zaria. Donated N500 million for development of a business school in BUK and another N100 million to Otuoke University in Bayelsa.
These are just the tip of the iceberg. As at the last count, Dangote Foundation has spent over N180 billion in CSR with less than N100 million spent directly on the community and state that houses one of the Dangote Group major wealth generating plant.
Evidently there are two Dangotes. Their Dangote. And our Dangote. Their Dangote is six and ours is half a dozen. Don’t ask me what is the difference. Numbers don’t lie. But sometimes fate play a trick on us with numbers…so sad we got the short end of the calculations..a crooked Dangote!
Dr. Yousouf Adeku Abdulkadir
