ollowing rumours that Alhaji Aliko Dangote has jettisoned his planned
multi-million dollars investment in cement plants at Okpella in Edo State,
youths in the community at the weekend staged a protest to the palace of
the paramount ruler of Okpella Kingdom, Alhaji Yesufu Dirisu urging him to
ensure Dangote Cement commences construction without delay.
Hundreds of placard carrying youths on motorbikes and bicycles stormed the
palace insiting that the monarch should clarify the situation as it has
taken too long for Dangote Cement to register its presence in Okpella.
Some of the placard read “All we are saying, let Dangote Cement come to
Okpella”, “Okpella youths earnestly ask for Dangote Cement’’ and “Okpella
Chief and Elders, Please beg Dangote come here. We are waiting for Him”
Dangote Cement had recently announced plans to commence a three million
tonnes per annum production capacity cement plant in Okpella along with
another six million metric tons capacity plant in Itori, Ogun state.
Speaking at the Palace, the President of the Okpella Youths Forum, Mr.
Christopher Kadiri said the protest was informed by information reaching
the youths that Alhaji Dangote has changed his mind to start cement
operations at Okpella at a time the youths were already expecting that
more jobs are coming to them.
He said they decided to come to the palace to hear from the Chiefs and
elders why Dangote should not be allowed into Okpella when his coming was
supposed to be a blessing to members of the community who are yearning for
development of the area.
The youths leaders said “we are not a cursed people, why should we say an
inmvestor like Dangote should not come to Okpella. This is an
international investor that even nations and heads of states are begging
to come and invest in their countries. Now the same man says he wanted to
come and build his cement plant here and we are hearing that some people
are blocking him.
“We want to put it on record that we the youths are ready and are in
support of Dangote to come and invest here. It is for our own good, we
want employment, we want infrastructural development. Let Okpella enter
into the world map as other cities in Nigeria. No investment is ever too
much and many as con come and set up businesses here, we welcome them.
“Your royal majesty and elders of our community, please help us tell
Dangote that he has our 100 per cent support, we will maintain peace and
tranquility, the atmosphere is conducive to his business. This is a golden
opportunity, we can’t allow it to slip out of our hands. Posterity will
not forgive us all if Dangote should take this plant to another place,
Please, tell him, the youths, the elders, the women, children and unborn
ones in Okpella are calling on him to come quickly. It is long overdue
even”
Responding, the Secretary of Okpella Traditional Council, Chief Richard
David dismissed the insinuations that the Traditional council does not
want Dangote. He said the Council has been in the forefront of agitation
for Alhaji Dangote to come and make use of the abundant limestone in
Okpella to start Cement production/
According to him, Dangote coming to Okpella is a blessing to all, you can
see the expression of joy, enthusiasm and excitement in the faces of the
Chiefs when Dangote announced that he was coming to set up cement plant
here. He is welcome and we promised him he woould not be disappointed. We
pledged our solidarity and cooperation to him and his business. Thre is
peace here and no threat at all to him. He should come quickly.”
Chief David explained that when Dangote Cement begins operations, Okpella
people will also occupy managerial positions, “banks will come, other
businesses will open. We are for Dangote Cement, none of us is against
him”
Speaking in the same vein, the Okuokpellagbe of Okpella, Alhaji Dirisu
said his palace has said it times without number that nobody in Okpella
can stop Dangote from coming to set up a cement plant here. In fact the
day he announced he was ready to start construction, we were happy. It is
the good of all and the community.
“I don’t want to be a ruler over undeveloped Community, I want a good life
for my people. I want the youths to be employed, I want our women to have
something doing, you cant imagine the ripple effect of Dangote Cement here
in Okpella.”
Alhaji Dirisu assured the youths to maintain peace and that his palace
will do everything possible to make Alhaji Dangote start works on his
plant in Okpella, “we need him now more than ever before. Let it be on
record that there is no bad blood between Okpella and Dangote. He is a
friend of our people, he is my friend, he is our governor’s friend. We
love him, he has nothing to fear. We want him to hasten things. Anything
that can bring development is what we stand for. And Dangote cement is one
of the things that can bring development and economic prosperity to our
people and community”, Okuokpellagbe declared.”
It would be recalled that Dangote Cement Plc, Group Executive Director,
Devakumar Edwin had announced some production capacity expansion drives
with the commencement of construction of new cement plants in two
communities in the country.
The new plants are expected to add 9million metric tonnes per annum to the
company’s current local cement output of 29.25 million metric tonnes,
bringing it to a total of 38.25 million metric tonnes per annum.
The company had listed the communities in which it is setting up the new
plants as Okpella in the northern part of Edo State, South-South of
Nigeria with a three million per annum plant and another six million per
annum capacity plants in Itori in Ogun State, South-west of the country.
Edwin, who made the announcement in Lagos, explained that the Okpella
plant will be made up of one line and will produce a total of 3 million
metric tonnes per annum, and the Itori plant which will deliver
approximately 6 million tonnes per annum from two procution lines. Both
plants are expected to come on stream within the next three years.