President Aliko Dangote

President Aliko Dangote: A Rejoinder to Yusha’u Shuaibu

Abdu Isa Kofarmata

Much has been said or written with regard to corruption in Nigeria. Similarly, a lot has been mentioned as to the causes of corruption in Nigeria. But one important point that is yet to be ascertaining with regard to the corruption and corrupt practices in Nigeria is that who is corrupt and who is not corrupt. Similarly, do I need to hold any public office before engaging in corruption? Do I need to be a retired General to be classified as corrupt Nigerian? These are some of the questions, we need to ask ourselves. One can be a collaborator, agent, front or whatever, sometimes one may be an ordinary person but his attitude and ways of discharging his official and private engagement can be tantamount to aiding corruption.

A little stroll into the history of Nigeria, one can easily remember the Are Kakanfo of Yoruba, Chief Mashood Abiola. Many Nigerians were unaware of his military collaboration and his role of helping to dupe and plunders our nation treasury, until the popular afro-beat master Fela Anikulapu kuti came up with the song International thieve thieve(ITT). The afro-beat master exposed them fully to the delight of other Nigerians. Chief Abiola, though not a public servant but became the best friend to any military government in Nigeria, at the same time was the highest donor to the ruling NPN in the second republic just like Aliko Dangote with PDP.

It is important to note that, Abiola lost his life to the same class of Nigerians which he spent all his life serving and protecting. And it was the reason why many Nigerians were not sympathetic to his death. Holding public office is one thing and collaborating to defraud the nation is another thing entirely.

Aliko is only 43 years last April, 2005, Common sense dictates to us that, given the limited size of our economy and the poor business environment couple with high level of risk and uncertainties, it is very difficult for one to amaze the kind of wealth with no sympathy from the government or its officials within the short period.

My brother Yusha’u, You must be living outside this our planet, by claiming non partisanship of Aliko Dangote. If you don’t know, Aliko Dangote is a card carrying member of the PDP, in fact his membership supercede that of Chief Chris Ubah and the present PDP chairman Col. Amadu Ali. Aliko Dangote made the highest individual and corporate donation to the PDP presidential election campaign in 2003. For your information and anybody who cares to know, Aliko enjoyed presidential waiver of billions of naira immediately after the 419 election. Is this not corruption? You and I can prosper in any chosen business endeavor in as much as government will extend that kind of sympathy and gesture us.

Again, Aliko himself refuted your claim that he is not in the habit of extravagant display of opulence. I refer you to the Dangote Group publication titled Dangote Giant Stride 2003, where he expressed his love for Sunny Ade and Owanbe. He even stated there categorically, that the best way to enjoy his leisure time is to attend Sunny Ade’s show.

Alhaji Aliko couldn’t have invested in GSM or airlines because his business associates, the faceless retired and serving military and public office holders are the owners of those lucrative ventures. In addition to this, the area of investment is not all that matters, but the origin and the real owners of the investment. For instance, it was after the deaths of late philanthropist Alhaji Adamu Dankabo

and late General Abacha that people know the real owners of Kaduna Durbar Hotel. Probably, by the time Chief Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar cease to be the president and vice respectively, Nigerians will know the real owners of Dangote Group.

Mallam Yusha’u tried to convince us with empty argument that, Aliko has never work in public service and he’s not among the retired generals, but Yusha’u forget the fact that the Abiolas, Bagudus, Ubahs, Adenugas and Tininbus of this world are not retired or serving military personnel. The saying goes; show me your friend and I will tell you who you are. I am assuring you that by the time the present useless regime of Obasanjo vacate office; you and many Nigerians will see and hear wonders.

In Nigeria, one need not to be in government before he can loot the public treasury, you can be a collaborator, agent or a front as the case may be. I pray that Aliko never get involve in the garri production, because if he did, we at the bottom of the ladder are finished. Remember, is it not his involvement in the production of flour, macaroni and related foods items that prices sky rocketed? Is it not his involvement in cement that the price of 50kg bag now sells at about N2000? Aliko is responsible for the high cost of sugar in Nigeria if you don’t know. It was after the withdrawal of Aliko Dangote from the importation of rice that Obasanjo government decided to ban the importation of rice, and the immediate confiscation other importers rice.

The employment he created is limited to only one side of the Niger. For fear of certain tribe in Nigeria, I can assure you only that tribe benefited from the employment generation and that is the reason why Obasanjo became so interested in his activities. As for us in the north and Kano to be specific daya bata da an sace duk daya ne.

In the final analysis, unless all waivers extended to Aliko Dangote are reverse and the money is paid into the public treasury, Nigerians will continue to see him as collaborator in the art of stealing their money. And until Aliko reverse his business policy toward the essential commodities popularly used by the common man, Nigerians will ever see him and his company as a sadist who takes pleasure in seeing us suffering.