Leadershipgist

Knowledge sharing is central to Sustainability plan in Dangote -Gungune  Director of the Dangote Cement Plc, Obajana Plant, Mr. JV Gungune has said that sharing requisite skills and knowledge as well as gender sensitivity are at the heart of the sustainability plan of the Pan- African conglomerate.   Mr. Gungune who was speaking Thursday to mark this year’s Global Sustainability Week at the Dangote Cement Plant Obajana said sustainability is only possible when key knowledge is shared and when all the genders are incorporated in the entire production process.   He described the Dangote Cement Plc as gender sensitive, and a place to work for both the present and the future generations.   According to the plant Director, the company has contributed enormously to its physical and social environment in line with global sustainability agenda.   The company also used the opportunity to present awards to some of the Sustainability Champions who have ...

  By Ayobami Omole, Lokoja   As the people affected by the devastating flood in Kogi state continue to face major crisis, help came the way of the people of Onumaye and  Ikumo communities in Kogi LGA of Kogi state and People With Disability (PWD) when a Non-Governmental Organization, Lift Up Care Foundation, (LUCAF), distributed items worth over N5 million to the victims. Speaking during the distribution at one of the instructed IDP camps at Okumi where the people of Onumaye are now taking refuge, the Executive Director of LUCAF, Mrs. Lami Ahmed, said the organization discovered that some camps have not received any assistance since the advent of the deadly flood. The ED who was represented by the program manager of LUCAF, Mohammed Sumaila Onudoga, noted that the organization decided to visit the hard-to-reach communities directly, saying that these group of persons are often forgotten in terms of their needs. He particularly noted that the people have no access to clean ...

  By Ayobami Omole, Lokoja The Kogi State First Lady, Rashida Bello has reiterated her commitment to reduce the plights the flood victims face. She gave assurance when she visited Ibaji flood victims in their camps in Idah Local Government area of the state. Rashida Bello  said though the flood is a natural disaster that cannot be stopped but the effect can be reduced.  She said "We all know that flood is a natural thing which no one can stop, is not easy but we as a government will continue to provide for the victims till when their homes will be ok for them to go back because there is no place like home. As a government, we will make sure, you are comfortable and well taken care of here in the camp."  In response, some of the victims commended the state governor and the First Lady for their supports. They said the  consumables and none consumables with cash will go a long way to reduce the hardship they go through. They appealed to the Federal and State Govern...

Kogi state First Lady, Rashida Bello has visited over ten IDPs camps within the state capital Lokoja and other places disturbed by the massive floods that have submerged hundreds of houses and farmland across the state. Rashida Bello provided foodstuffs, blankets, rappers, torchlights, beverages and cash to cushion the suffering the people are going through. Beneficiaries described her as a mother who cares for their wellbeing. They commended the state Governor Yahaya Bello for his earlier intervention to provide temporary places for them to stay until their flooded homes dry off. Hajia Rashida Bello has distributed goods and cash worth millions of naira to the victims. She promised to stand by them at all times. "It is the responsibility of any government to make life beautiful for the people and my husband, the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello will do everything possible to cushion the suffering they are going through.   We are going through this together. We ...

  October 24, 2022 Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural and human resources. Many Nigerians both at home and in Diaspora have excelled in all aspects of human endeavours such as innovations, science and technology, engineering, health, inventions, oil and gas, academics, among others. Such is a story of a young budding writer who decided to throw himself a personal challenge. He planned to write at least 1,000 poems before the end of 2005. Yes, you got that right – 1,000 poems! In simple maths, he needed to write at least 3 poems a day to reach this target. To make the challenge more difficult, each poem was to consist of seven (7) stanzas, and each stanza was to have four (4) lines, with a fixed pattern of rhyme.  So, he needed to produce at least three poems every single day for 365 days; each poem made up of twenty-eight (28) lines with the ABAB rhyming scheme (his personal favourite). There was no motivation from any source. No financial reward, no social groups to tap...

By Ayobami Omole, Lokoja   The Lions Club International, District 404A2 Nigeria, has donated food items to flood victims in Lokoja and Kotonkarfe Local Government Areas of Kogi. Speaking to newsmen at one of the IDP camps in Adankolo, Lokoja, Lion Jide Bello, the Club's District Governor, Abuja, said, ''the Lion club is a charity organization that is always there to help where there is need''. Bello said they were in Kogi to distribute food items and clothing materials to the displaced indigenes of the state. His words ''We heard about the flood disaster that submerged their homes and we made our enquiry to get the statistics of their numbers in various IDP camps in Lokoja and Kotonkarfe. ''We are able to identify four camps, which are Kotonkarfe, Serki-Noma, Adankolo and Gadumo. ''So, we have brought food and other relief items to share and sympathize with them, and to say 'where there is need there is always a lion'....

By Ayobami Omole, Lokoja Dangote Industries, DIL, has won Awards after clinching first position as 'Large Farmlands' owner, and leading 'Agro Processors' and 'Inputs Suppliers' in the Country.  The recognition was at the instance of the National Agricshow which held in Keffi, Nasarawa State between 10th and 14th October Earlier, the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ACCI, offered the Company 'Best Private Partner', and 'Sponsor of the Year' certificates at the close of the  Abuja International Trade fair on  9th  October The awards followed Kano State House of Assembly's approval of the re-naming of Kano University of Science and Technology to Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology.    Recently Dangote Industries Limited (DIL), emerged the Most Valuable Brand in Nigeria for a record 5th Year in a row, ascertained by the 2022 corporate brand evaluation conducted by the leading brand and marketing research firm, Top 50 Brand N...

 Kogi state one of the northern state in Nigeria has now been officially declared and recognized as an oil producing state. Kogi is the first state from the north to be recognized as an oil producing state with evidence of receiving the 13% derivation from the Federation Account. Details Later

...seeks order restraining Dangote from taking benefits from 'incompetent agreement'  The Kogi State Government has dragged Dangote Industries Limited to a Kogi State High Court, sitting in Lokoja over the controversial ownership of Obajana Cement Company, now Dangote Cement Plc.  In the originating summons, the state government wants the court to determine whether upon careful examination and consideration of the agreements made between the Kogi State Government and Dangote Industries Limited on July 30, 2002, and February 14, 2003, respectively, it is not apparent that consideration (an essential ingredient of a valid contract) is lacking?  The government is also asking the court to determine whether in view of the clear lack of consideration (an essential ingredient of a valid contract), the agreements made between the Kogi State Government and Dangote Industries Limited on July 30, 2002 and February 14, 2003, respectively, are not null and void?  In the event tha...

By Ayobami Omole, Lokoja   Kogi State House of Assembly has threatened to recommend the sanction of the Managing Director of Kogi Investment and Property Limited (KIPL) , Hajia Aisha Suleiman, should she fail to appear before the Adhoc Committee investigating  operation of mining companies in the state. Member representing Igalamela/Odolu state constituency, Hon (Bar) Cosmas Atabor made this known during the sitting of the committee at the Reverton Hotel, Lokoja. The Managing Director has been invited to appear before the Committee to respond to questions begging for answers or risk being recommended for sanction. Atabor who is a member of the committee berated the executive officer of KIPL for always putting up excuses rather than appear before the Committee like other stakeholders have been doing. The lawmaker noted that part of the agreements between Obajana/Dangote Cement Company was that a Director of Kogi extraction should represent the state on the board of the com...

    By Ayobami Omole, Lokoja   There were huge scenes of jubilation among affected host communities following the Federal Government’s order for the immediate reopening of the Dangote Cement Plc plant at Obajana in Kogi State.    Members of the host communities from Iwaa, Oyo, Obajana, and Apata who spoke to newsmen said they could now heave a sigh of relief as the consequences of shutting down the factory were better imagined than described, a situation which was worsened with the recent ASUU strike that kept students at home across the country.   Recall that the National Security Council (NSC), chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, had Friday directed the reopening of the cement plant, after raising concerns about job losses, potential increase in criminality and resultant unemployment in the area and the State due to the shutdown. Minister of Interior, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola told newsmen that an agreement had been reached between the Dango...

Obajana controversy: Kogi to drag Dangote to court ... says 'we'll fight battle to the end' The last has not been heard of the Kogi-Dangote face-off over the ownership of the Obajana Cement Plant as the Kogi State Government, resolved on Friday to drag Dangote Cement Plc to court and reclaim what rightfully belongs to the people. The decision to go to court was taken at an emergency meeting on Thursday night between key government officials, led by Governor Yahaya Bello and stakeholders representing the different ethnic groups in the state. A statement signed by the Hon. Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said that, at the meeting, which ran into the early hours of Friday, all stakeholders resolved to head to court in the interest of the people and generations to come. He said the Governor made it clear to the House that there was no going back on the state's resolve to reclaim its asset, even while he sued for calm in the interest of peace. ...

*Obajana Cement PLC was incorporated in 1992 and as at 2002 had no paid up shares  * Kogi State has no equity interest in Obajana Cement Plc   * The plant and machinery were conceived, designed, procured, built, and paid for solely by DIL, well after it acquired the shares in Obajana Cement Company   * The land on which the Obajana Cement Plant is built was acquired solely by Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) in 2003   * Taxes paid to Kogi Govt yearly since production commenced in 2007  The management of Dangote Industries Limited has insisted that its acquisition of the Obajana Cement Plc in 2002 followed due process, contrary to claims by the Kogi State government. The conglomerate asserted that Kogi State government has no equity interest in Obajana Cement Plc. It also stated that the company as a responsible corporate organisation has been paying relevant State taxes, levies and charges to the Kogi State government since 2007 when production...

  Reports reaching us indicate that a reconciliation meeting between Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi and President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has taken place at the Presidential Villa as part of moves to resolve the tussle over ownership of the Cement plant in Obajana, theCable has reported. The meeting, which also had in attendance Ibrahim Gambari, Chief of Staff to the president, and Abdullahi Sule, governor of Nasarawa, is over the recent tussle for ownership of the Dangote cement factory in Obajana, Kogi state. The meeting reportedly started around 4pm on Monday at the villa after both men were summoned to appear at the presidency. The development comes days after the Kogi House of Assembly ordered the sealing of the factory following agitations by indigenes who raised questions about the ownership of the company. However, during an attempt to seal the factory on October 5, a shooting incident reportedly occurred which left several staff of the plant sustaining varying degre...

  Our attention has been drawn to a circulating Press Statement issued by the Kogi State Government, wherein the Dangote Group was accused of allegedly sponsoring arsonists to set the Kogi State House of Assembly on fire in the early hours of Monday, October 10, 2022. The statement titled, ‘Obajana: Desperation sets in as imported hoodlums burn down Kogi Assembly’, which was signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo pointedly accused our company of burning 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.” 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 propert...