Two years after Abdullahi Ganduje, then governor of Kano State and current national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), brokered truce between the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdussamad Rabiu, the duo has renewed their rivalry.
Elder Statesman and business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata, reportedly played a key role in making the settlement see the light of the day.
Dangote and Rabiu, both from Kano, are powerful businessmen not just in Nigeria and the African continent, but across the world.
Through their large investment empire that stretches across sectors, they place Nigeria on the spotlight for good.
At the peace meeting initiated by Ganduje, they reportedly agreed to work together for the growth and development of the country.
However, it appears the truce will not last with both organizations again at each other’s throats.
While Dangote Group has accused BUA Group of orchestrating a malicious campaign in the media by disguising as a concerned citizen, the latter on the other recalled how it overlooked its rival’s antics aimed at running it out of business.
In a seven-page statement titled: “Economic Sabotage : Our Stand,” published in the media on November 2, Dangote Group dismissed claims on its investigation for alleged illegal foreign exchange deals and money laundering running to $3.4billion under the watch of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.
The company described the report as a rehash of a similar report peddled out operating as a concerned Nigerian” in 2016.
“The attention of the management of Dangote Industries Limited has been drawn to an unfounded allegation making the rounds in some online media, suggesting that the Company is being probed over alleged illegal foreign exchange laundering running to $3.4bn allegedly perpetrated by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the leadership of Mr. Godwin Emefiele over the years.
“As an organisation, it is not in our custom to respond to any spurious allegation. Still, since it is a rehash of a similar report peddled out of malice by a competitor masquerading as a concerned Nigerian in 2016, we are constrained to provide context to this issue.
“The reporting of this spurious foreign exchange allegation by some media houses was turned down by some credible traditional and online media news until it was featured as a paid advertorial in two Nigerian Newspapers BusinessDay and Leadership (Published on March 14, 2016) titled “Acts of Economic Sabotage by Dangote Cement” published in the name of David Osa Ighalo, from Benin, Edo State.
“It is saddening to note that this publication of Monday, March 16, 2016, wherein the author alleged that ‘monies went from the company in question to other sister Dangote Companies Outside Nigeria.
“It is estimated that almost $3bn, if not more, has been taken out of Nigeria through these means. This encourages round-tripping and, in effect, money laundering since there is no proper documentation has recently been given a fresh false slant by one Ahmed Fahad, purporting it to be a new petition directed to the attention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mr. Jim Obazee, the Special Investigator probing the CBN,” the statement read.
