I shouldn’t have bothered recounting all his Nigeria-centric engagements as a result of Alhaji Aliko Dangote (AAD) has severally stated so himself, however I don’t wish to be accused of plagiarism. Take a look at his speeches on the Guardian 2015 Man of the Yr award, the Nigerian Financial Summit, the Katsina Financial & Funding Summit, the Nigerian-Kenyan enterprise summit, when the VP visited his refinery and on the Company Council for Africa occasion. In all these, he declared his dedication to turning round and diversifying the economic system, working arduous to take the economic system to the following degree, constructing a refinery that’s larger than the mixed capability of all refineries, a fertilizer capability that’s ten occasions greater than what is obtainable in Nigeria right now, generate 12000MW, greater than thrice what Nigeria at present generates and export refined oil relatively than importing and creating Jobs elsewhere, listing his refinery et al on the NSE and assist NSE to outgrow Johannesburg Inventory Trade and the way the speed of youth unemployment in Nigeria offers him sleepless Nights(a press release even our PMB has not made), assuring that Nigeria( and Africa) would quickly change into the world’s meals basket. AAD has stated and continues to say the correct and heartwarming issues. Sadly, nonetheless, these are the sorts of statements that ought to emanate from Kemi Adeosun, Godwin Emefiele, Udo Udoma, whoever is the chairman of the EMT, and, in sane climes, from the president himself.
“Moreover, given the strategic significance of AAD to the destiny and fortunes of Nigeria, shouldn’t the federal government buy a key-man insurance coverage cowl on the person?”
So, like the one wealthy man within the village, AAD has taken on all of the duties. Already different villagers are grumbling: The Ogun State governor complains that Dangote vans destroy the roads; Ndigbo say the one Dangote investments in Ala-Igbo are deaths and visitors jams attributable to his reckless drivers and his vans; the FCT in 2016 rejected his Salah presents; some folks complain that he cornered an unfair share of our foreign exchange, enjoys nice tax waivers, is turning into monopolistic and is muscling out different gamers, citing his spat with Otedola, Ibeto and BUA. Our solely luck to this point is that Dangote doesn’t overtly throw his weight about.
Learn additionally: Dangote: the travails of the only rich man in a village
If he had been to behave as a few of his drivers….
The Federal Authorities, however, is mendacity low and idling round as AAD undertakes his quite a few duties, being his best cheerleader and praying that AAD lives lengthy to unravel all our socio-economic issues (as PMB did on his sixtieth BD). Shamefully, relatively than do SOMETHING about our pitiable petroleum state of affairs, Ibe Kachikwu publicly begged AAD to complete his refinery forward of schedule as a result of the federal government’s promise to finish gasoline importation in 2019 was based mostly on the refinery! Simply think about that: the federal government makes a promise to Nigerians and is dependent upon AAD to fulfil the promise! Even Oxfam not too long ago urged AAD and 4 others to make use of their wealth to finish poverty in Nigeria.
The federal government, representing the Nigerian village, enjoys the optimistic externalities from the massive man with out considering, ‘What if!’ What if AAD wobbles or goes to mattress and doesn’t get up early sufficient? What if a strategic shift happens within the organisation or if future Dangotarians usually are not as cool-headed and Nigeria-centric as AAD? The opposite day, AAD closed his $20m tomato manufacturing facility and his Tanzanian $500m cement manufacturing facility, which value $4m to energy month-to-month. The well being of the Nigerian inventory market is dependent upon whether or not the costs of AAD shares are rising or falling. What has the federal government executed to create different AADs? The place are the opposite large males in Nigeria, together with these whose youngsters celebration throughout the globe commonly? Why can’t they rise up and be counted? What’s the Financial Administration Crew doing if AAD addresses the challenges of unemployment, diversification, meals safety, foreign exchange conservation, energy technology and highway development? Ought to we not outsource financial governance to him whereas the presidency manages politics and income sharing and makes excuses for the overseas herdsmen? Or extra charitably, why not ship Osinbajo and the EMT on sabbatical to AAD?. Moreover, given the strategic significance of AAD to the destiny and fortunes of Nigeria, shouldn’t the federal government buy a key-man insurance coverage cowl on the person?
In the meantime, I urgently want a Dangote sticker for my rickety automotive. Travelling from Lagos to the East has out of the blue change into herculean, and I strongly consider {that a} Dangote sticker will clear the way in which for the son of man. As I used to be concluding this piece, I acquired the information {that a} townsman, Legislation Onyemelukwe of Lafenax Ltd, was named the general greatest buyer of Dangote Cement for 2017! So, I’m vicariously amongst these having fun with the AAD Impact; at the very least I can brag: my townsman is AAD’s greatest buyer! That will even get me by way of the police, customs, FRSC, civil defence and different unclassified checkpoints when subsequent I journey alongside the Lagos-Onitsha route. However I may also petition the Federal Character Fee to analyze the 2017 AAD awards: the names of the highest prize winners (Onyemelukwe, Okika and Ezenyili) didn’t mirror federal character!
Ik Muo, PhD, Division of Enterprise Admin, OOU, In the past Iwoye. 08033026625.
