Dangote Dispels Petition On Forceful Take Over Of Limestone Quarry In Edo

Posted by African Examiner Business News, Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, December 1st, 2015

A subsidiary of Dangote Group, Dangote Cement Company Plc has dispelled the petition against it, to the London Stock Exchange, over alleged “destabilizing acts” by the Okpella Community of Edo State, South South Nigeria.

The Company in a rebuttal, a copy of which was made available to AFRICAN EXAMINER said contrary to the petition which was dated November 9, 2015, the traditional ruler of Okpella, His Royal Majesty, Alhaji (Dr.) AYE Dirisu, granted full authority to Dangote Cement to prospect for minerals in his kingdom, therefore, there was no need to forcefully take over or cause mayhem over limestone quarry, as accused by the petition.

The organization also indicated that the Okpella Development Initiative in a counter letter to the London Stock Exchange has refuted the allegations as published in a National Daily Monday, November 9, 2015.

Similarly, Dangote Cement informed that the Okpella Youth Forum in a rejoinder published in another National Daily November 15, 2015 dissociated itself from the said publication, therefore, called on the sponsor’s client, Mokidi & Co to apologize within 14 days.

“Dangote Cement is Africa’s leading cement producer with over 40mt of capacity operational, including three plants in Nigeria (Obajana, Ibese and Gboko), 18 African countries (Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroun, Liberia, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Niger, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Chad and Mali).

“We are a fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer with production capacity of 29.25 million tonnes in Nigeria. Our Obajana plant in Kogi state, Nigeria, is the largest in Africa with 13.25 million tonnes of capacity across four lines. The Ibese plant in Ogun State has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12 million tonnes. The Gboko plant in Benue state has 4 million tonnes of capacity. Through our recent investments, Dangote Cement has eliminated Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement and is transforming the nation into an exporter serving neighbouring countries” stated the Dangote subsidiary.

In the same vein, the organization confirmed that it was investing several billions of dollars to build manufacturing plants and import/grinding terminals across 18 African countries, adding that it has operations in Senegal (1.5mt), South Africa (3.3mt), Cameroon (1.5mt), Ghana (1 mt import facility), Ethiopia (2.5mt) and Zambia (1.5mt).

It added: “We are also building plants in Tanzania (3mt), Republic of Congo (1.5mt), Niger (3mt) and Kenya (3mt). We plan to build import or grinding facilities in Sierra Leone (0.7mt), Ghana (1.5mt), Cote D’Ivoire (1.5mt) and Liberia (0.7mt), and Zimbabwe”.

As a responsible company, Dangote cement disclosed that with global operations, it has never resorted to violence or the use of thugs to achieve its organizational
goals, maintaining that it was its mandate to invest in peace, given the scale of operations of the group in Nigeria and other countries.

“We always comply with all the necessary laws and requirements in our operations in Nigeria and across the world” the company reiterated.