Former Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has called on Dangote Group Chairman, Aliko Dangote, to present evidence of the necessary approvals for the structures he claimed were demolished during Amosun’s administration.
According to News Bulletin, Dangote alleged during a courtesy visit to Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Monday that his cement plant under construction in Itori was demolished twice when Amosun was in office. Despite this, he stated that his business is returning to Ogun State due to the favorable policies of Abiodun’s administration.
In response, Amosun’s media aide, Lanre Akinwale, issued a statement on Tuesday urging Nigerians to understand the structured processes within government ministries, departments, and agencies. He emphasized that these institutions handle approvals for physical development and other regulatory matters.
Akinwale asserted that if Dangote could provide the required approvals for the demolished structures, it would clarify the issue for the public. “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,” he stated.
He recalled that at the commissioning of the Ibese Cement factory, Dangote had praised the Amosun administration for facilitating the project’s commencement after what he claimed was eight years of frustration under previous administrations.
Highlighting the achievements of the Amosun administration, Akinwale noted that it attracted over 500 companies to Ogun State and was recognized by the World Bank as one of the top three states for Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria. He also pointed out that in 2014, Ogun was identified as one of the top reforming states, with improvements in key areas such as construction permits and property registration.
“Our administration transformed Ogun State into Nigeria’s ‘Industrial Capital,’ accounting for approximately 75% of the country’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the industrial sector. This fact is verifiable,” Akinwale said.
He added that former President Goodluck Jonathan acknowledged these achievements by commissioning multinational projects in Ogun State on five different occasions.
Akinwale dismissed Dangote’s claims as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and challenged him to present documentation of the land acquisition and relevant planning approvals.
“While we await Dangote’s response, we must emphasize that not all Nigerians can be compromised, bullied, or blackmailed. The idea that everyone has a price applies only to those with weak foundations and questionable values. Some of us will continue to uphold high standards, no matter whose ox is gored,” Akinwale concluded.
