The Kogi State House of Assembly is conducting an investigation into activities of Dangote Cement and other mineral companies which the State has shares.
The investigation became necessary as a result of the ever dwindling internally generated revenue status of the State, according to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mathew Kolawole.
The House had during the plenary on Wednesday expressed concern over revenue coming into the State and would want to know the mode of operation of Dangote Cement and other mineral factories with regards to shares belonging to Kogi State government.
The house, House Committees on Commerce and Industry, Solid Minerals and Judiciary was mandated with the responsibility to conduct the investigations and report back to it in three weeks time.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Matthew Kolawale, explained that the probe, when completed, would create the avenue for the house to enact proper laws that would help improve the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for development purposes.
“It’s expedient that the Kogi government should know the rules of engagement between it and Dangote cement company as well as other mineral producing companies.
“This is because as it’s now, there is nothing concrete about the shares we have in these firms operating with ease in the state and what comes in for us as revenue.
“What we know is that before then, the cement company in Obajana was first known as Kogi State Cement company before its sudden change to Dangote Cement company.
“In fact, it’s this ignorance that has triggered us into expressing doubt on the existence and quantity of Kogi state shares in Dangote cement company,” he said.
Hon. Kolawole wondered why internally generated revenue in Kogi is not improving in spite of the existence of the cement, ceramics and coal producing companies.
He explained that such baffling situations prompted the house into issuing such a probe order. He said the house has set up a committee that would investigate all the companies especially in order to ascertain whether they have been adhering to the laws enacted by the state government in respect to doing business in the state.
Speaking in support of the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Mr Momoh Rabiu, said that the order to investigate the companies could not be overemphasized considering its benefits to the state.
Rabiu noted that it would no doubt go along way at increasing the state’s revenue generation and employment opportunities for the teeming youths.”
