The Dangote Industries Limited has debunked allegations that it sponsored arsonists to burn down the Kogi State House of Assembly.
The state assembly was engulfed in fire, which occurred from the rooftop and affected the floor of the House Monday morning.
Following the incident, the state government in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo accused Dangote of burning the assembly complex, allegedly “in an attempt to possibly destroy evidence relating to the ownership tussle between the Kogi State Government and the Dangote Group over the Obajana Cement Company.”
Relating to the allegation however, the Group Chief Branding & Communications Officer of Dangote, Anthony Chiejina in a statement made available to ASHENEWS said the allegation was an “attempt to smear our image before local and international investors and thus erode our brand value.”
According to the statement, “Dangote Group would never stoop so low as to sponsor thugs to destroy any property, belonging to either government or any individual.
“Our lawyers have been mandated to react appropriately to the damaging allegation from the Kogi state government within the full extent of the law.”
Read the statement below:
Our attention has been drawn to a circulating Press Statement issued by the Kogi State Government, wherein the Dangote Group was accused of allegedly sponsoring arsonists to set the Kogi State House of Assembly on fire in the early hours of Monday, October 10, 2022.
The statement titled, ‘Obajana: Desperation sets in as imported hoodlums burn down Kogi Assembly’, which was signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo pointedly accused our company of burning the Complex “in an attempt to possibly destroy evidence relating to the ownership tussle between the Kogi State Government and the Dangote Group over the Obajana Cement Company.”
As a socially responsible corporate entity, we totally refute this allegation and condemn this unprofessional and irresponsible attempt to smear our image before local and international investors and thus erode our brand value.
Dangote Group would never stoop so low as to sponsor thugs to destroy any property, belonging to either government or any individual. This runs contrary to our business ethos and everything we stand for as a leading manufacturer with teeming customers and consumers across Nigeria and Africa.
Our lawyers have been mandated to react appropriately to the damaging allegation from the Kogi state government within the full extent of the law.
We urge our stakeholders and the public to disregard such irresponsible and insane statements as we ask all our stakeholders, namely shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and the entire community of Obajana and Kogi state at large to remain calm while we follow the legitimate and lawful process to resolve this matter with the state government.
