By joshua 
… Issues 2 weeks ultimatum
The National Youth Council of Nigeria has today after its Joint Action Committee(JAC) Meeting which held in the State Youth House, described the Executive Governor of the State His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello as a Reform Champion.
This has come after his series of strides at revisiting injustice done to the state by heartless capitalist, series of companies, financial institutions and corporate business owners’ whose operations in the state have continued to drain and leave us high and dry, yet pay deaf hears to their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR).
This commitment was necessary to checkmate and access the compliance level of the above towards the economic growth of the state and ensuring that they have been carrying out their legitimate obligations to their host communities and the state effectively.
The ongoing brouhaha between the Kogi Government and Dangote Cement PLC is a just fight in fairness to the good of the state, especially to the host communities where they generate their resources.
It is also a fight for justice, and a claim for rights unlawfully denied. It is about ownership, stolen shares or fraudulently withheld securities belonging to the Great People of Kogi State.
For the record, the entity today known as Dangote Cement PLC via change of name at the Corporate Affairs Commission was formerly Obajana Cement Ltd – a company wholly founded and 100% owned by the Kogi State Government long before Dangote Cement PLC came into the State.
Even after the Government of His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo concessionned the mining rights to the conglomerate as a core investor, Kogi State was recognized in the shareholding structure, having several commissioners on the Board in their official capacities, all representing the interests of the People.
In the 2002 agreement signed between Kogi State Government and Dangote Industries Limited on Obajana Cement Plant disclosed that the project was at the conceptual stage in 1992, with a preliminary feasibility study carried out same year.
We also understand that Obajana Cement Company PLC with Certificate of Incorporation No. RC208767 dated 4th November, 1992 is solely owned by Kogi state, with the prospecting Right (Numbered PR No.14 of 2001 No.0053) issued exclusively to the company.
It further revealed that Kogi state offered and transferred 90% of its total shareholding in the company to Dangote Industries Limited, which gave liberty to the state to sell half of its 10% equity to indigenes of the state by public offer or private placement
We also discovered that Kogi state shall grant Dangote Industries Limited tax waivers and exemption from levies for 7 years from the date of commencement of production. These findings were painstakingly carried out and even scooped from ‘Kogi Report’, a notable and credible online news platform.
Given the above facts, we at the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Kogi State Chapter, are solidly backing the actions of the state government and the State House of Assembly over the swift and courageous action taken over Dangote Cement PLC.
Our rights as a state must not be sold out cheaply for personal agradizement, hence, the change of name to Dangote Cement PLC without a round table discussion with appropriate representatives of the state is unacceptable.
One question we should be asking ourselves in all of this is, in employment-wise, Kogi which started out as the founder and owner of a business enterprise, one sited in her domain to and whose operational footprints impact so heavily on her people and public resources end up having nothing at all without any due procedure; so painful.
We are also not shying away from the fact that the said company has for long been neglecting its Corporate Social Responsibilities to its host community and other communities where they get their resources to operate and create wealth for other state and themselves.
From our research, we can categorically say that Kogi State that houses the Obajana Cement Factory has not in any way benefited from any serious CSR initiatives since the inception of this entity.
We can still recall sometimes ago in the year 2017 the leadership of NYCN Kogi State Chapter paid a visit to the Cement Company demanding that Dangote Cement Company should attend to the CSR of the host community, State and also make demands for the Youths of our dear State and all were neglected by the Company.
His trucks have killed more Kogites (Youths and Students) than any other citizens in this country and the damages he has caused to the roads in kogi state cannot be overemphasized.
Employment wise, it is rare to see Kogites occupying serious management positions in Obajana Cement PLC. Kogites only occupy positions such as flag holders, fleet officers and may be the hard labour sections of the entity.
What about the price of cement in the state?
In kogi state, it’s in the highest part of heaven. The location has not reflected in the price system in the state.
In revenue wise, we clearly see that 99% of the plate numbers of Obajana Cement trailers are registered outside the state, what about the annual renewals? Such a massive loss to the state in the areas of IGR.
Governor Bello has once again demonstrated the rightful capacity and leadership skills to show that he has what it takes to fight for the right of the people.
We as the Voice of the entire Kogi Youths both at home and in the diaspora are solidly behind the youthful and useful Governor His Excellency Alhaji Yahaya Bello who is always taking the right of his people into consideration.
For the sake of peaceful coexistence and conducive business environment, we call on all businesses operating within the state to check their books and do the needful.
For us at the National Youth Council of Nigeria Kogi State Chapter, Dangote Cement PLC is a parasite and has eaten too deep and well enough, it should be cast out.
We are therefore issuing a 2 weeks Ultimatum to the pretigious seat of the Presidency, a direct call to President Buhari to call the Dangote Cement Plc and its owner to order, or the youth of the state will be left with no other option but to take actions into our hands, let’s quickly remember Kogi is a gateway to all other part of the country.
We kindly plead to the father of the Nation, to use his wealth of experience in ensuring the right thing is done for the purpose of peace and the wellbeing of all Kogite and Nigerians by extension.
Build the Youth, Build the Nation.
His Youthfulness,
Ambassador Usman Ogohi Samuel,
Chairman, National Youth Council of Nigeria, Kogi State Chapter.