Amosun Dares Dangote to Furnish The Public With Details of Demolished Plant's Land Acquisition, Planning Approvals
By: Olufemi Orunsola
In swift response to the recent revelation by the Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote that he left Ogun state owing to demolition of the group's plants in the past, former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has challenged the billionaire business man to furnish the public with details of land acquisition and relevant planning approvals of the factory allegedly demolished by his administration.
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News recalls as profiled in earlier reports that Alhaji Aliko Dangote had on Monday alleged that former Governor Amosun had demolished his factory in Itori on two occasions, and that the company was only coming back to invest in the state because of the investor-friendly policies of the incumbent Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.
The former Ogun Governor who described the allegation by the businessman as mischievous, insisted that furnishing the public with the title documents would allow for constructive conversation therefrom and help the public to put the issue in proper context.
Amosun further affirmed that there could not have been two governments in a state, adding that Dangote could not have operated above the law or under a different set of laws.
He reminded Dangote of how he praised his administration to high heavens during the commissioning of Dangote Ibese cement factory for his promotion of investments in the State.
The statement reads, “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.”
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