Open Letter To President Aliko Dangote

By  

Abdu Isa Kofarmata

kmatagigi@yahoo.com

 

 

For the purpose of this write-up, I will be using the title “president” when referring to you, sir. This is based on my understanding of the fact that you personally choose to be addressed and referred to as “president”, instead of the “chairman” as commonly used in Nigeria for CEOs.

 

I wish to make this letter open for other Nigerians both the rich and the poor, so that they could benefit from the little advice I seek to offer the president in this piece because a poor man like me can hardly have access to your time to advice you accordingly. I am sure by now; you are busy organizing and mobilizing other business moguls and friends to donate to the presidential library or PDP. You may also be occupied by your business analyst and advisers on which public company or property to go for. The president by now must have gone along way in making proposal on which part of NEPA he will take as soon as the elephant is down. These reasons and many more make me choose this medium to write and advice the president, Dangote Group of companies.

 

Before going into details, I want take the president into little sojourn of history. This will enable the president understand clearly what I intend to bring forward to his attention. It will also assist him to focus more on his business empire vis-à-vis the Nigerian masses. I am sure the president is aware of the late Chief MKO Abiola, Areona Kakanfo, magayakin Katsina and Shettima of Borno. The late philanthropist exploited all the opportunities available to enrich himself and emerge as one of the richest Nigerians, all at the expense of our teeming masses. He did this successfully by collaborating with military and civilian regimes in Nigeria. Late Abiola used to be the highest donor at any government occasion, and he enjoyed all government juicy contracts in return. He reached his peak during the corrupt regime of president Babangida. At that point, he decided to contest for presidency with a view to protecting his growing business and accumulated wealth. What happened? His election was annulled and the very people he spent better part of his life serving and protecting with his wealth jailed and subsequently killed him with no sympathy from the majority of Nigerians.

 

Another example to learn from history was the late General Shehu Musa Yar’adua. Though a retired general and one time number 2 man of the FMG, the late Yar’adua was said to be more of a business merchant than a soldier. In fact, many believe that he was the richest military officer in Nigeria before the advent of Generals IBB and Abacha. The late Tafidan Katsina was deeply involved in the purchase of several government companies and properties. In addition, he enjoyed a lot of import duty waivers to his companies. The Tafida was jailed and killed like a dog at Abakaliki prison by the same people from who he received all kinds of waivers and protection. Nobody among Nigerian masses cried or sympathized with the circumstance of his death.

 

The president of Dangote group is presently being fooled by his advisers to use his abundant wealth to determine or influence government policies or even spend to install a friendly government. This may be possible of course, but it is not tenable. For instance, in the present Russian republic, a wealthy businessman called Kordorkovsky, the Chairman and Chief Executive of Yukos oil, probably, the richest man in Russia now, and who by far is richer than Aliko Dangote, is now in detention. He was recently jailed for 9 years. He is also to refund all evaded taxes and waivers extended to him by the previous regimes. These are some few lessons which I want you to read carefully, understand and learn. Some relevant examples become applicable when we examine some of your personal attitude as well as business policies as it affects the entire Nigerian masses.

 

Politics; Mr. President, you are fully involved in the political brouhaha of our country. The extent of your involvement can be seen in your highest donation to the presidential campaign in 2003, as well as to various PDP gubernatorial candidates during election period. Similarly, it can be seen from president Obasanjo’s continuous patronage of your person, business and companies. This led to the selling of public properties to you. The danger here is of two fold: first, everyone that knows Obasanjo will tell you that he is unpredictable. Being with Obasanjo is like being with the devil. Remember what he did to Sunday Awoniyi, Abubakar Rimi and Gemede. You may also learn from what he did to Audu Ogbe, Evans Enwerem, and recently, Tafa Balogun. The cases of Sunday Afolabi and Hussaini Akwanga should also serve as reference points.

 

Secondly, it is important to note that by the time Obasanjo leaves office come 2007, many unpopular programmes, projects, waivers etc initiated or extended by him would either be cancelled, reversed or terminated. The worst part of it all is the reversal of all fraudulent deals entered with his government which may subsequently lead to possible arrest and/or prosecution of all the government agents and the buyers/beneficiaries involved like you.

 

Economic implication; The president of Dangote group has over the span of six years purchased all that is purchasable from Obasanjo’s government, and this was done through dubious and fraudulent ways. Mr. President took undue advantage of our bad economic circumstances and weak consumer protection laws, to influence government policy on importation. Mr. President, you are instrumental to high cost of sugar in this country, you are instrumental to the ban of spaghetti and macaroni into this country which invariably has led to the high cost of these products to your advantage. The painful thing about it all is the poor quality of your products which you force on Nigerians at exorbitant prices. Mr. President, you are responsible for the high cost of flour, cements and associated products. Mr. President, we are suffering as a result of your trade and business policies as it affects those essential commodities listed above.

 

All of us at the bottom of the ladder are fully aware of the role you played in the ban on importation of rice.  You are responsible for influencing government to confiscate their goods and arrest the importers. This has led to the significant increase in the price of both local and imported rice. Rice being the commonest food item for Nigerians has already gone beyond the reach of an average citizen as a result of your wicked trading practices.

 

The social irresponsibility of your organization cannot be estimated or even imagined. Your transportation/haulage company which is the biggest in the country with over 3000 trucks has contributed in no small measure to the destruction of our roads. And instead of you to pay your taxes and dues appropriately and promptly so as to repair the damaged roads, you rather enjoy waivers on the import tariff on those trucks fraudulently.  At present sir, Dangote group cannot boast of any serious educational support project in Nigeria. The little social responsibility project that was said to be undertaken is limited to Apapa, Lagos.  We know why it was done in Lagos.

 

The employment which many argued you created in the country is also limited to one section of the country. The danger of all these atrocities, Mr. President, is that, Nigerians will forever see you and your companies as responsible for their daily suffering. Nigerian masses may not have an organized way of boycotting your products may be due to lack of education, poverty level or otherwise, but they might express their anger and feelings on your property that are spread nationwide, with the slightest provocation. The president should remember that even in Lagos his new abode, his vehicles were made the target during the OPC/Hausa civil disturbance. Similarly, his trucks were burnt down to ashes in Kano during the same or similar riot, even though you are from the state. These are few instances and examples, and by the time the vast majority of our people – masses, realize how you collaborate and influence policies that are detrimental to their well being and survival, only God knows what will happen to you and your investments.

 

At this point, Mr. President, I want to tell you point blank, that you have created enemies among politicians, technocrats, bureaucrats, among the business community and the entire Nigerian masses. Unless you change your approach, attitude and policies toward the essential commodities that are popularly used by the common people of Nigeria, we will remain to always see you as a sadist, who takes immense pleasure in seeing us suffering. And we the common people will not have sympathy on you should you go Abiola or Yar’adua’s way, rather we will surely jubilate the departure of a wicked business tycoon. Mr. President, take that as sacrosanct.