Kogi govt demands 10% shares from Dangote Cement

The Kogi State House of Assembly has asked for the ten per cent shares that belongs to the state government from Dangote Cement, stressing that all available documents showed that the company started as Obajana Cement Company before turning to Dangote Cement company without any considerations.

The Assembly ordered the management of Dangote Cement to provide all necessary documents in regard to the transfer of Obajana Cement Company owned by the Kogi State Government to Dangote Cement Company.

It also directed that the documents signed at the establishment of the company and relevant receipts of dues claimed to have paid to the Kogi State Government be available at the next adjourned sitting date.

The Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly, Hon. Matthew Kolawole, gave the order after interim reports of the ongoing investigative hearing on Internally Generated Revenue which was submitted by the ad hoc committee led by Hon. Isah Tenimu and deliberated upon at the plenary on Wednesday.

Kolawole said this has become imperative in view of the claims and counterclaims between the Chairman of Kogi State Internally Generated Revenue Service (KGIRS) and Representatives of Dangote Cement.

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The Speaker further directed that the Financial Director of Dangote Cement Company should meet with KGIGRS and the Commissioner of Commerce and Industry to reconcile financial differences.

Earlier during the investigative hearing, the Commissioner of Commerce and Industry had pointed out that Dangote had not been paying business premises fees since operation in the state.

Responding, the representative of Dangote, Alhaji Jimoh claimed that on the contrary, Kogi State had 10 per cent share which could only be claimed if the state showed interest, adding that since no interest was shown, the shares has been acquired when Dangote became a conglomerate.

While the Financial Director of Dangote, Segun Oyebanjo claimed that since 2016, the company has paid in total dues the sum of N14 billion to the coffers of Kogi State Government through KGIRS with receipts, the Chairman of KGIRS said it was not so, adding that the receipts being bandied are not from them.

Oyebanjo stated that it was only in 2021 that some certain taxes were not been paid.

The Star