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Tag: Yahaya Bello

  • Dangote calls for calm over shutdown of Obajana Cement plant

    Dangote calls for calm over shutdown of Obajana Cement plant

    The Management of Dangote Cement Plc, has appealed to all its staff and customers to remain calm while the company explored all possible legal steps to address the illegal shutdown of its Obajana plant by the Kogi government.

    Mr Michel Punchercos, Managing Director, Dangote Cement Plc, made the appeal in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

    Punchercos stressed that the welfare of the company’s staff remained a key focus as the company worked hard to minimise further impact on its people and operations.

    He said the company had taken steps to get the hoodlums apprehended by the law enforcement agencies, and would ensure that full legal action was taken against them.

    “The management of Dangote Cement Plc, wishes to inform members of the public, especially its customers and other stakeholders of the recent invasion of its Obajana Cement Plant, Kogi by armed vigilantes on the orders of the state government.

    “The vigilantes, led by some officials of the state government were apparently acting on a resolution of the Kogi state House of Assembly on controversial tax claims.

    “Claims that the state governor had also contradicted when he said the shutdown was due to an alleged invalid acquisition of the company by Dangote Industries Ltd.

    “In the process of forcefully evicting the workers to enforce the shutdown, the vigilantes shots at 27 of our workers and also destroyed some of the company’s property at the plant.

    “While we reiterate that Obajana Cement plant is 100 per cent owned by Dangote Cement PLC, we remain resolute in transforming Africa, while creating sustainable value for our people, communities, investors and customers,” he said.

  • Kogi Govt moves to recover cement company from Dangote

    Kogi Govt moves to recover cement company from Dangote

    The Kogi State Government on Thursday moved to recover Obajana Cement Plant from Dangote Company Limited.

    The government’s resolution is contained in the report of the Specialised Technical Committee on the Evaluation of the Legality of the Alleged Acquisition of Obajana Cement Company by Dangote Cement Company.

    The detailed report was submitted to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi in September. The report was presented to the public by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Folashade Ayoade, on Thursday in Lokoja.

    Ayoade said, “Recovery of the state’s Obajana Cement Company Plc from Dangote Cement Company Limited became imperative at this point in time.”

    The SSG revealed with documents that the purported transfer of Obajana to Dangote Industries Limited was “invalid, null and void”.

    She disclosed that in the report, three Certificates of Occupancy for Obajana Cement Company Plc, which was solely owned by the Kogi State Government at the time, were used to obtain a loan of N63billion by Dangote.

    According to her, the committee, in view of its findings, has, therefore, recommended that Kogi State should take steps to recover Obajana Cement Company from the Dangote Group.

    The Committee, chaired by the SSG, also recommended that: “Kogi State Government should take steps to recover all accrued dividends from profits made over the years, including accrued interest on same.

    “Kogi State Government should take steps to cancel the existing seven Certificates of Occupancy in the name of Dangote Cement Company.”

    Stressing the aberration in the arrangement, the SSG said, “Agreement between Kogi State Government of Nigeria and Dangote Industries Limited, dated 30th July 2002.

    “And, supplemental agreement dated 14th February 2003, as contained in Exhibit 71 of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry Report, purporting the transfer of Obajana Cement Company Plc to Dangote Industries Limited, are all invalid, null and void.

    “There is no evidence of consideration paid by Dangote Industries Limited to Kogi State Government from the alleged transfer of Obajana Cement Company Plc and no dividend was paid to the state from the profits realised from the inception of Dangote Cement Company Plc to date.

    “By the assignment of the three certificates of occupancy, the title in Obajana Cement Company Plc, still vests in Kogi State Government as the sole owner.

    “The three documents were used to obtain a loan of sixty-three billion naira only (63,000,000,000.00) to finance the construction of the cement plant in Obajana.”

    Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Matthew Kolawole, specifically noted that the acquisition of the Obajana Cement Company by Dangote was without the resolution of the House of Assembly, which made the process null and void.

    “It is clear that you cannot sell a state government property of any form without the resolution of the Kogi State House of Assembly.

    “All the transfer process of the share capital to Dangote from Obajana by the previous administration was without any law backing it by the state House of Assembly,” Kolawole stated.

    In his remarks, Gov. Yahaya Bello said that he had taken the bold step, in line with his mandate to safeguard the lives and livelihood of the people of Kogi State, including residents, and to ensure their wellbeing.

    Bello said this was also coming on the heels of protests by the people of the state who felt they had been suppressed and marginalised by the Dangote Group who had come to rip them off.

    The governor, however, said that the state was open to discussions once Dangote Company Plc is ready to come clean.

    “We received several petitions from the general public over this particular subject matter. In the past five to six years, all efforts to sit with the proprietors of the Dangote Conglomerate failed.

    “We set up a committee to look into this and invited the Dangote company to discuss with them and tell them the imminent dangers they are exposing the people to, but it all fell on deaf ears.

    “I am here to defend my people, and from all reports, it is clear that Obajana Cement Company does not belong to Dangote,” Bello declared.

  • Niger Assembly gives Ministry 48 hours to fix collapsed Minna-Bida road

    Niger Assembly gives Ministry 48 hours to fix collapsed Minna-Bida road

    The Niger State House of Assembly has given the Minister for Works a 48-hour ultimatum to fix the collapsed portion of the Minna-Bida road.

    The assembly took the decision after a matter of public importance was brought before the house by Mr. Mohammed Haruna (APC), a member representing Bida II.

    He called on the government to urgently save the Minna-Bida road from total cut-off at the plenary in Minna on Tuesday.

    Speaker of the House, Mr Abdullahi Bawa, (APC), while reading the resolutions of the house, directed the Ministry of Works to fix the bad portions of the Minna-Bida road.

    He also called on the executive arm of government to as a matter of urgency take appropriate actions to salvage the remaining portions of the Minna-Bida road from collapse.

    Earlier, Haruna said Section 14, subsection 2 paragraph (b) provides that security and welfare of people shall be the primary purpose of government.

    ”The only road linking Minna to Bida has been cut off due to the failure of a portion of the road that was washed off as a result of heavy downpours.

    ”This development has brought hardship to road users as commuters were stranded with perishable goods being destroyed because due to the cut-off of a portion of Minna-Bida.

    ”Patients on referrals to the Federal Medical Centre Bida are also stranded making their conditions worse,” he said.

    He called on the state government to as a matter of urgency take appropriate measures to salvage the remaining part of the road from Minna to Bida.

    A portion of the Minna-Bida road on Saturday cut-off leaving road users and commuters stranded inspite of the interventions by the state Road Maintenance Agency (NIGROMA).

    Niger House of assembly had in 2019 given approval to the state government to access N25billion loan from Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to finance Minna-Kataeregi-Bida, and other projects.

    The 86km Minna-Kataeregi-Bida road project was rescoped from N25 billion to N17 billion for Dantata and Sawoe construction company to handle dualisation from zero to 15 kilometers as state government counterpart funding, while IDB was expected to take over the construction of the remaining 71km.

    The loan agreement was that the state government would fund 15km part of the road starting from Kpakugun to Garatu while the IDB would fund the remaining 71km of which only 35 per cent from the 15km has been completed for N11 billion.

    NAN

  • Without Buhari Nigeria would have been partly sold – Yahaya Bello

    Without Buhari Nigeria would have been partly sold – Yahaya Bello

    The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello has stated that Nigeria would have been partly sold.

    He said the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) government halted it.

    The governor made the comment when he was interviewed on Arise TV.

    Bello was asked what the ruling APC intends to do about the state of the economy and unemployment.

    His attention was called to the over 50 per cent rate and the 13,000 healthcare workers who have relocated to the United Kingdom in two years.

    Bello replied: “The statistics or the numbers you just read out, where are they coming from? What are the processes?

    “Most of the times, we question the statistics because I am most affected sometimes in Kogi State

    “For instance, the NBS (National Bureau of Statistics), or in the media, or out there, people say you’re owing salaries.

    “Even one particular elite put it on his Facebook that I am owing salaries up to 18 months.

    “He pulled down the information within hours. There are some information out there that are misleading.

    “I am not saying that are there no work to be done on unemployment, improvement of our economy,

    “The next thing is: which of the countries of this world is having it rosy now?

    “In fact, if anything, without this administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, under APC, probably, Nigeria would have been partly sold…

    “..to either Chinese or any other person outside this country, because of the way the economy was managed before we came on board in 2015.

    “In every system, there are saboteurs, there are Judas. We have them abound within and outside this APC administration of President Buhari”, Bello added.

  • Yahaya Bello appointed Tinubu-Shettima campaign council Youth Co-ordinator

    Yahaya Bello appointed Tinubu-Shettima campaign council Youth Co-ordinator

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has been appointed as the National Youth Co-ordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
    The appointment was conveyed in a letter addressed to Bello, signed by the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    Tinubu, in the letter dated Aug. 8, stressed that Bello who was an aspirant in the party’s presidential primaries held in June, deserved the appointment owing to his impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership he had demonstrated as governor of his state and as a party member.

    The former governor of Lagos state added that he was confident that the Kogi governor would do his best in the new responsibility given him so that the party could run an effective, message-driven campaign, which would lead to victory in the 2023 presidential election.

    Recall that multitudes of youths and women across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria, had, during the build-up to the APC presidential primary election, demonstrated their strong support for the Kogi governor, owing to his youth- and women-friendly policies.

    Party members and analysts described the appointment as a big boost for the campaign, considering the important place of youths in the 2023 elections and the impressive youth-targeted campaigns Bello conducted before the primary election.

    The letter, titled, “Appointment as National Youth Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council”, read in part: “By way of this letter, we are pleased to formally convey your appointment as National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

    “This appointment is fitting and appropriate, given your impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership you have demonstrated as governor of your state and as a party member.

    “We are grateful that you have joined our campaign team. We know you will do your utmost in this new responsibility so we conduct an effective, message -driven campaign leading us to victory in the 2023 presidential election.

    “Together, not only can we ensure victory for our party in the February 2023 election but we shall also move Nigeria along the path of national greatness,” Tinubu said.

    This, he added, would be achieved by building on the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari -APC administration in providing progressive good governance to Nigerians.

    He congratulated Bello and wished him God’s speed and guidance.

    “Congratulations. Please, accept the assurances of our highest respect and regards always,” Tinubu added.

    In his acceptance letter, Bello pledged to deploy all in his capacity, working alongside the presidential candidate, to ensure victory for the APC in the 2023 general elections.

    “Tinubu is one great Nigerian , who not only exemplifies but abundantly demonstrates through transformational leadership and good governance, my own aspirations for a Nigeria that is secure, united and prosperous,” he stated.

  • 2023: Gov Bello wants to visit violence on Kogi State, group alleges

    2023: Gov Bello wants to visit violence on Kogi State, group alleges

    Igala Vanguard, a socio-political organisation, has berated Governor Yahaya Bello over his alleged threats to visit violence on the state in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

    In a statement signed by the secretary of the organization, Engr Lawrence Akpa, Governor Bello’s alleged threats in a viral video was made in Ihima, Okehi LGA over the weekend.

    However, Akpa said it will not be business as usual during the general elections and Kogi state governorship polls expected to hold in November 2023.

    He challenged Governor Bello to tackle dearth of under development, insecurity, kidnappings, banditry and lack of social services confronting his failed administration in the last six and half years, saying the threat to continue with “his abrasive and contrived political empire is an empty threat from a drowning Governor”.

    He wondered why the Governor still have the courage to speak on the political leadership of Kogi, “having used the common patrimony of Kogi to prosecute his failed ambition to rule Nigeria, the exercise that some Kogi delegates he so much boasted of did not even vote for him”.

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    “For a Governor, who does not have a grip of state delegates despite amassing them through forceful means, it is shameful and a huge embarrassment of our time. Rather than hiding his head in shame, he has decided to portray his usual folly.

    “It is obvious that Yahaya Bello is in a political logjam, hence his utterances between now and the next political dispensation will be in form of a dirge, having betrayed his political benefactors both front and back in all areas.

    “He is left with how to confront the anti-corruption agencies with his awaiting fraudulent cases and at the same time seeking for a political solution, soft landing and favour from the next dispensation, hence his thoughts of replaying the use of force and violence to achieve the next political arrangements in Kogi,” he said.

    Engr Akpa warned government appointees and accomplices at all levels not to “mortgage their lives beyond their present predicaments of working in Governor Bello’s administration, that had made them vulnerable to anti graft agencies soon after they leave office.”

    He stated that whoever attack or kill for politics, no matter how highly placed, will have him or herself blame in the next dispensation, saying nobody had monopoly of violence both within the Igala race and Kogi state as a whole.

    The secretary urged the people of the state to remain unperturbed over the governor’s alleged threats, adding the era of using violence to win election is gone in Nigeria forever.

    He called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to feign ignorance over the threats under the guise of retaining political power at all levels in Kogi state and Nigeria.

    He said the Igala Vanguard will set the ball willing to alert the international communities on the plans by the Governor to truncate the next political transition in Nigeria, saying Kogi Governor was already selling the ideas of violent approach to 2023 elections, not only in Kogi state, but across Nigeria.

  • Bello, Shetima discuss APC’s winning strategies, national devt.

    Bello, Shetima discuss APC’s winning strategies, national devt.

    Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Monday received Kassim Shetima, running mate to Bola Tinubu, the Presidential Candidate of the APC, in the 2023 general elections as both discussed strategies for APC’s victory in the forth-coming elections.

    Meeting behind closed doors, their discussion centered on various plans and strategies for winning the forthcoming presidential election for the ruling party.

    They also discussed issues bordering national development, unity of the country, peace and security.

    Bello, a strategic member of the party, said that APC’s victory was a win for Nigerians with the right strategies in place to tackle the challenges across all boards.

    Bello as part of his commitments to the victy of the party, had donated his campaign building to the Presidential flag-bearer to drive the activities of the party for victory ahead of the 2023 general elections.

  • I’m proud of you – Tinubu tells Abiola’s daughter during visit to Gov Bello

    Sen. Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said he is very proud of the Director-General of the Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation, Hafsat Abiola-Costello.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tinubu made this known when he visited Gov Bello in Abuja, barely 72 hours after his emergence  as the flag bearer of APC ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

    He noted that the peace and joy being enjoyed  in the country was owed to her late father, saying “MKO Abiola, the reason June 12 became a public holiday”.

    He also revealed that it was in the house of Kudirat Abiola (Hafsat’s mother) that he found the cap with which he disguised and fled Nigeria.

    “I’m happy to be back to save Nigeria,” he added.

    He also thanked all members of  the Yahaya Bello Campaign Organisation, adding that, “ You all made a mark, you were resolute.”

    Tinubu commended the Kogi State Governor for mobilising the consciousness of youths during his campaign for the APC presidential ticket.

    The APC presidential candidate described Governor Bello as his son, adding that the governor was reminded  of “what the nation wants to be”.

    Tinubu was accompanied on the visit by three governors – Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Bello Matawalle (Zamfara); and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano).

    A former Governor of Edo and ex-APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, was also at the meeting.

    The presidential hopeful also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for providing a level-playing ground for all the contestants during the special convention and primary.

    Tinubu said, “The man of the convention, the man of democracy for that day was Muhammadu Buhari.

    “If you want to run, run; you want to crawl, crawl; you want to dance, dance.

    “Yahaya Bello is my son; you mobilised the consciousness of the youth in the county. You remind us of what the nation wants to be”.

    Tinubu described his victory as a very good step for the APC stakeholders to work for one united country that is concerned about prosperity.

    The APC presidential flagbearer also thanked the party’s leadership for ensuring that the convention ended peacefully.

    “The (opposition) thought there would be chaos and crisis. But we saw peace. Emi lokan. It’s my turn,” he said.

    Tinubu also saluted the courage of Gov  Matawalle who, he said, faced the worst form of opposition, including banditry.

    “I thought the termites would eat him up. He listened to the words of elders, brought reconciliation and peace to Zamfara State,” Tinubu said.

    Responding, Gov Bello announced that he had collapsed his Presidential Campaign Council and would donate the building to Tinubu’s campaign organisation.

    The governor promised that he would  be on the streets to campaign for Tinubu and take APC to victory,

    “Today, I have collapsed my Presidential Campaign Organisation.

    ” I am donating my campaign organisation secretariat to you. I have  learnt a lot from the little lecture you gave to us.

    “What elders see when they are  in the valley, the younger ones won’t see it,” Bello said.

    The  governor noted that the convention and /primary election  had come and gone and promised to lead the youth to campaign for Tinubu to ensure that APC would win convincingly.

    “Never again will PDP lead this country. Thank you all my colleague governors for giving me the opportunity to learn from you.

    “Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC national chairman) has never lost election and we will win the 2023 election. Our convention went well and peacefully,” he added.

  • Primaries: Any attempt to remove my name from ballot will lead to mayhem – Yahaya Bello threatens

    Primaries: Any attempt to remove my name from ballot will lead to mayhem – Yahaya Bello threatens

    Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has warned the All Progressives Congress, APC, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari threatening that any attempt to remove his name from the ballot he would invoke mayhem.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports the young Kogi governor saying excluding his name on the ballot in the party’s convention scheduled for today Tuesday June 7, 2022, to elect the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2023 election will be a recipe for trouble.

    Governor Bello speaking to State House correspondents after meeting behind closed doors with the President, said that the APC will retain power at the center if only it plays by the rules.

    Yahaya Bello who is one of the 23 aspirants cleared to contest for the party,’s presidential ticket in the 2023 election; said there is a conspiracy against him, accusing the APC northern governors and some elite of gang-up.

    He described himself as a leading aspirant that would win overwhelmingly if the process is transparent and credible, adding that the only thing that could make him not contest the presidential primary is only if President Muhammadu Buhari tells him to step down.

    “Getting into the arena today, I will win overwhelmingly if the process is credible,” he said.

    The presidential aspirant said there was no need for him to be excluded in the primary, claiming that he represents the youths and the downtrodden.

    Bello said that the APC governors of northern extraction did not consult him when they took the resolution that power should shift to the south and that the resolution was not bidding on him.

    He reiterated his opposition to the rotational presidency, as he stated that it doesn’t give room for the emergence of a competent person to pilot the affairs of the country.

  • BREAKING: Implosion looming in APC over imposition of Lawan as consensus candidate

    BREAKING: Implosion looming in APC over imposition of Lawan as consensus candidate

    All Progressives Congress (APC) is about to implode following the announcement of Senate President Ahmed Lawan as consensus presidential aspirant by the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

    TheNewsGuru com, (TNG) reports Adamu made the announcement at the meeting of National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday in Abuja.

    Other aspirants including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Dr. Kayode Fayemi and David Umahi, among others will however be allowed to contest the primary at the convention holding tomorrow at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

    Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state a major aspirant rejected the move and insisted other aspirants must be given a level playing ground to compete.

    Yahaya Bello who was seen angrily storming out of the venue of the APC governors meeting vowed to address the press on the development

    Adamu’s adoption of Lawan as consensus candidate is against the position of 11 APC northern Governors, who endorsed that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.

    Adamu told the National Working Committee that he arrived at the choice of Lawan after consultation with President Buhari.

    All the signals of an imminent implosion in the ruling APC are beginning to come to bear.