Fire razes Kogi State House of Assembly as Dangote denies involvement

• Security agencies probe cause, says state
• We remain resolute on ownership of Obajana, says Fanwo

Kogi State House of Assembly was yesterday razed by an early morning fire. The Guardian learnt that the fire started middle of the night, but security agents were able to notice it at about 7:00a.m. on Monday morning.

“Security and technical experts are currently working hard to unravel the cause(s) of the inferno which has caused significant damage to the Complex. The state government will inform the general public of findings as they unfold.

“We urge the general public to be calm, law abiding and resist the temptation of being lawless as the Government is capable of dealing with the likely outcome of the investigations.

“The state government will also make provision for temporary arrangements to ensure legislative business is not completely halted as a result of the unfortunate incident.”

It was Dangote Group that deployed its fire fighting equipment to put out the remaining fire and prevent it from extending to other offices.

MEANWHILE, the management of Dangote group has debunked allegations that it sponsored arsonists to set Kogi State House of Assembly on fire in the early hours of Monday, October 10, 2022.

Referring to a statement titled, ‘Obajana: Desperation sets in as imported hoodlums burn down Kogi Assembly’, allegedly signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, the firm condemned the unprofessional and irresponsible attempt to smear its image before local and international investors and thus erode the brand’s value.

According to the statement, the firm said, Fanwo reportedly accused the group of setting fire to 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.”

But Group Chief Branding & Communications Officer for Dangote Industries Limited, Anthony Chiejina, in a statement , yesterday, said: “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.”

But, Kogi State Government, said it remained resolute on ownership of Obajana Cement Company.

The state in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, sadvised the Dangote Group and its image makers to focus on “proving its ‘total ownership’ of Obajana Cement Company rather than chasing shadows”.

He said the Group’s latest attempt to malign the state government in its statement titled, “Dangote not involved in Kogi Assembly Outbreak”, was a desperate one, insisting that the State Government had a “well defined channel of communication that is known to the public.”

Fanwo said the current struggle over the ownership of Obajana Cement Company was not that of an individual but a collective agitation by indigenes of the state who had felt shortchanged for too long as regards the subject matter.