The Negative Effects of Dangote’s Activities in  Former Benue Cement Plc – By John Akevi

Since 1999,there are two economic policies that have always invoked
the most extreme controversies in Nigeria- deregulating of the down
stream sector of the petroleum industry and privatization. But while
deregulation is often understood to mean increase in fuel prices is
more often an economic debate with some political flavour;
privatization is highly political in nature especially if the sold
entity is a prize asset. There have also been a territory issues.

When the Benue Cement Company (BCC),Gboko was sold to Alhaji Aliko
Dangote some years ago,the controversy was unprecedented. It rekindled
the historical tension between the Tivs and the Hausa/Fulanis.
Several years after the controversial privatization of the Benue
Cement Company (BCC),by the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) the
sour relationship between the Management of BCC and the host
communities is still brutal. Several clashes has claims  lives, and
property worth billions of naira were destroyed.
Benue  cement company is one of the oldest cement company in the
country was incorporated as a limited liability company on July
16,1975,after traces of limestone were discovered in Mbayion,Gboko
local government area of Benue State in 1960.

 By 1972,the Federal Government invited Cementia Holding AG Zurich to
undertake ,conformative study for the establishment of  cement plant
at Mbayion,Gboko Benue State.
On july 16,1975 BCC was incorporated as a limited liability company.

After the incorporation of BCC,Cemential Holding AG of Zurich was
responsible for the design and construction of the factory and acted
as a management partners. On August 15,1980,the first bag of Lion
Brand Portland cement was rolled out. The plant was officially
commission in 1981,with a rated capacity of 900,000 metric tones per
annum. In 1990,BCC was restructured by the Federal Government of
Nigeria and after the company under went a
capital restructuring and become known as Benue Cement Company Plc on
March,27,1992.

When the federal government divested its controlling shares in the
company in 2001,to Dangote Industries Limited in a privatization
exercise,the Benue State government which had the second majority
shares mobilized the communities and objected to the coming of Dangote
on the grounds that the core investor lack the technical competence
and managerial capacity to run BCC,it rather preferred that the
company be sold to Cementia Lafarge which had built and managed it
before handing over to indigenous  managers.
However the Bureau for Public Enterprises in its effort to execute
Obasanjo/Atiku devious agenda,announce Dangote  winner of the bid and
the federal government quickly ensured that he (Dangote) took over
BCC.

For quite some time now the people of Benue State have been feeling
short-changed in the sale of the factory to Dangote. It is on record
that since the privatization of BCC,the entire Tiv
people has been shut out of scheme of things in the company. The take
over of the company has thrown many Tiv sons and daughters out of  job
and consequently crippled the economy of the Tiv capital Gboko.

The host community has been complaining of less involvement in the BCC
 affairs,loss of distributorship,a haphazard corporate responsibility
policy as well as repatriation of almost 100 percent profits as well
as evacuation of raw limestone from Tse-Kucha to other cement
factories in the country. It is on record again that Dangote has over
500 trailers that transport cement from factory to various
distribution centres across the country on daily basis,while the host
community is left prone to environmental hazards due to massive
excavation of limestone for use else where. All the over 500 Dangote
drivers as well as motor attendants are Hausa/Fulanis. Imagine each of
the trailers comes with at least five attendants who are Hausa/Fulani.
This is still a substantial settlers group populating the Tse-Kucha
community.
Also The management of Dangote cement plant employs Indians in
preference to our young graduates.

Our roads are being damage on regular basis by Dangote heavy trucks
that ply the roads in hundreds. The mindless excavation of limestone
is  threatening Gboko-Makurdi federal road and pose  danger to
passengers and vehicles plying the rout.

With this agitating the minds of the Tiv nation,their pent-up anger if
not properly address can rise anger.

I rest my pen for now.

John Akevi a commentator on national issues,write from Gboko,Benue State.
Email: john4akevi@gmail.com