Daud Olatunji
Former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has called out billionaire industrialist Aliko Dangote for a public debate over allegations that the Dangote Group’s factory in Itori was demolished twice under his administration.
In a strongly worded statement signed by his media aide, Lanre Akinwale, Amosun dismissed Dangote’s claims, describing them as tactics of manipulation and intimidation.
He also accused the businessman of attempting to operate above the law, challenging him to present official approvals for the structures he claimed were destroyed.
Amosun argued that governance operates through established Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, which regulate physical developments, including approving construction projects.
He insisted that no single entity, regardless of its economic influence, could function outside government regulations.
Recounting his administration’s economic achievements, Amosun stated that Dangote was among hundreds of businesses that benefitted from Ogun State’s investment-friendly policies.
He highlighted that the state, under his leadership, became a top destination for industrial investment, attracting over 500 companies and receiving recognition from the World Bank as one of Nigeria’s leading states in ease-of-doing-business.
According to him, the Amosun-led government positioned Ogun State as Nigeria’s industrial hub, accounting for approximately 75% of the country’s Foreign Direct Investments in the sector.
He noted that the state’s economic progress under his tenure was validated by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who visited the state multiple times to commission multinational projects.
While maintaining that his government upheld fairness in handling corporate entities, Amosun urged Dangote to disclose the full details of his land acquisition and planning approvals, insisting that a factual conversation should be based on legal and regulatory frameworks.
The controversy erupted after Dangote, in a widely circulated video, claimed that his factory in Itori was deliberately targeted and demolished twice by the Amosun administration, forcing his company to abandon the project for years before resuming under the current governor, Dapo Abiodun.
Amosun, however, dismissed the claims as deliberate mischief and reiterated that not all Nigerians could be coerced or compromised.
He reaffirmed his commitment to integrity, stating that governance must be guided by laws and due process, irrespective of the individuals or businesses involved.
He said, “This is why some of us will continue to uphold high standards in all our undertakings, irrespective of whose ox is gored.
“We assume that an average person understands how government functions through Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, with each exercising mandates on specific responsibilities, including approvals for physical development.
“It is on this basis that we appeal to Alhaji Dangote to provide the public with the requisite approvals for the construction of the structures he alleged were demolished.
“This will, at the very least, help the public put the issue in proper context and allow us to understand exactly what his grievance is.
“As a government, we believed that there could not be two governments within a state, and Dangote, therefore, could not operate above the law or under a different set of laws.
“It is important to note that during the commissioning of his Ibese Cement factory, Dangote highly praised the Amosun administration for promoting investments in Ogun State and for facilitating the commencement of the cement factory after eight years of frustration, which he then attributed to previous administrations.
“Dangote is just one of the many thriving businesses in Ogun State. The Amosun administration is on record for having attracted over 500 companies to the state and was acknowledged by the World Bank as one of the top three states ensuring ease of doing business in Nigeria.
“Highlighted as one of the top reforming states in 2014, marking a significant improvement from its previous rankings, the World Bank report attributed this progress to substantial reforms across multiple indicators, such as construction permits and property registration.
“It is also on record that during Senator Amosun’s administration, Ogun State became the ‘Industrial Capital’ of Nigeria. At the time, our state accounted for about 75 percent of the Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in the industrial sector in the country. This is a fact subject to verification.
“This recognition was further reinforced by former President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan when he visited Ogun State on five different occasions to commission multinational projects.
“Thus, while we will not give credence to this obvious mischief, as it is deliberate, we advise Alhaji Dangote to furnish the public with details of his land acquisition along with relevant planning approvals so we can engage in a constructive conversation.
“However, while we wait for his response, we would like to state that not all Nigerians can be compromised, bullied, or blackmailed.
“The notion that everyone has a price is an expression applicable only to people with weak foundations and questionable upbringing.
“ This is why some of us will continue to uphold high standards in all our undertakings, irrespective of whose ox is gored.”
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