President Buhari over the weekend directed his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, to wade into the ownership disagreement over Obajana Cement plant which is operated by Dangote Group.
Kogi State government shut down the Obajana cement factory over allegations of tax evasion and ownership.
Kogi State vigilante security members on the instructions of the State government, stormed the cement factory and forced the workers out of the facility. In the process of enforcing closure of the company’s operations, some workers were injured.
The intervention of the presidency comes after the factory was shut down.
Obajana cement plant was originally owned by the Kogi state government but was sold to Dangote Cement in 2002.
The government’s action was triggered by the petitions of host communities querying the purchase of the factory two decades ago.
The Kogi State government ordered the closure of the cement plant, pending when Dangote Group are able to present credible evidence of its acquisition.
Dangote Cement is Nigeria’s biggest public quoted company with a market value and total sales of N808 billion and net profit of N172.1 billion in the first half of the year.
The management of the firm has vowed to take legal action over the recent invasion of the plant and the shooting of its employees by armed vigilantes allegedly on the orders of Kogi government.
Governor Yahaya Bello on Thursday said the state government is prepared to negotiate with Dangote Group once the firm was ready to admit that the plant belonged to Kogi state.
Professor Gambari hosted the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and the governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule to peace meeting.
Governor Abdullahi Sule was a former Group Managing Director, GMD, of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc. His presence at the meeting was to facilitate political solution to the impasse.