It cannot come as a surprise that many negative forces have risen and are training their arrows to fire at Aliko Dangote. Some are already firing from their arsenals. It is enheartening, however, that many powerful voices have also emerged to form a solid rampart of defence around him, not just to ward off the arrows, but to give him necessary and deserved encouragement. In the words of Akinwumi Adesina, Dangote is “a jewel of industrialization in Nigeria.” Adesina went on: “We cannot and must not undermine, disparage or kill local industries, talk less of one that is of this scale…It is more than simply delivering the cheapest product to the market. It is about domestic supply security, driving (and yes, protecting) globally competitive industries, maximizing forward and backward linkages in the local economy, job creation, reducing forex expenses and shoring up the Naira.”
Adesina should know: he is the president of African Development Bank (AfDB). Femi Otedola has spoken in the same vein. As a leading investor himself, he should know where the shoe pinches industrialists—the risks, the pressure they bear. Former Vice-President, Atiku has reacted also. Atiku in his twitter handle states: “The conflict between Aliko Dangote and NMDPRA is troubling. The Dangote Refinery, our nation’s largest private investment, is crucial for Nigeria’s energy and economic stability, and NNPCL’s investment underscores its importance. If we neglect this, we risk deterring vital foreign direct investment. No investor will trust a nation that undermines its key assets. Protecting significant investments like Dangote’s is essential to attract FDI and drive our economic growth.”
When the intrigues against Dangote were brewing, I wrote on a major platform as follows: “I pray that Dangote will not be dispirited with all the negative commentaries. He should regard people ventilating all manner of opinions as natural. We cannot all see the same things the same way. Vision and attitudes are governed by the radiance or dimming of the inner light of each individual. How can Dangote be a monopoly in an environment that will soon witness the roaring back of three other refineries in our land? We have been told Port Harcourt will come on stream before long; together with Kaduna before December. Warri is also being fixed. Certainly these will compete with him and we will have choice.
“We should summon courage and support Dangote and other entrepreneurs in our midst who are doing great things. As our fathers are wont to say: Oko se e ro ni alagbede npoko ta! If it were so easy, the blacksmith would not be content with just producing hoes, he would head for the bush to farm himself! I salute Dangote’s courage, his industry any day. Was he the only one who had contacts in high places? What did the others do with theirs? Dangote is doing the Blackman proud!”
Femi Otedola states: “In Nigeria we have our own titans, and it is imperative that we recognize and support them. Aliko Dangote has broken every boundary in worldwide business and industry. His contributions are not just a testament to his brilliance but a beacon of what is possible when vision meets opportunity. Supporting local champions like Dangote is crucial for our national development and economic independence. Let us continue to foster and support these visionaries who drive our nation’s progress.”
I was later to observe that with every passing day the conspiracies thickened. What they passed as Dangote’s transgressions began to lengthen. As is in character in matters of this nature, there is exhibition of a warped sense of entitlement. Aliko Dangote must do his business, run his industries according to our own vision and the wish of his detractors, not according to rules and regulations of the land. These are demands we do not make on the four public refineries. The last time there was turn-around maintenance with celebratory results was during Obasanjo’s Administration—to my recollection. And Obasanjo vacated the throne 17 years ago. Dangote put the humongous amount sunk into rehabilitating the public refineries at $4tr (US Dollars), the figures flying in the public space is by far more and we have not gotten result.
I recall former Special Assistant to Obasanjo on Petroleum Matters, Funsho Kupolokun, before he succeeded Gaius Obaseki as Group Managing Director of NNPC, going round newspaper houses. His mission to editors as Obasanjo’s salesman was to support the Obasanjo Administration’s thinking to end fuel subsidy. The subsidy in the end could only be reduced to prevent disruption to the economy and social life of the citizenry. It is Bola Tinubu who has had the courage to bite the bullet. Commendable as his step was, however, the timing was reckless. It has ended in creating more problems than he set out to solve. It was not thoroughly thought out. Internal capacity to fill the supply gap was not ready. Everyone started to ask: What were the alternatives? What he ought to have done was to breathlessly pursue the roaring back of the public refineries into activity by kicking the officials in the groin even if it would entail, in his accustomed Lagos boy rascality, moving the Villa to Port Harcourt temporarily, and twice or so a week personally going to Kaduna, taking Mele Kyari with him. At the same time, he would be sending subtle pressure notes to Dangote: ‘Aliko, where are we? Alhaji, what’s up? When are the machines going to roar for commercial production?’ Those with proclivity to being compromised even after the President has personally demonstrated commitment would be replaced by Europeans and Chinese. Any European found compromised to sabotage the President’s effort, of course, knows the consequences back home. He would go through due process of the rule of law, no doubt, but would eventually pay severely for tarnishing the image of his country. Of course, if a Chinese he would be recalled home, and the penalty is death! By now we would have gotten result.
Dangote paid $100million (US Dollars) to the Lagos State Government to acquire the land on which the refinery in Lagos is built. All hope is pinned on his refinery to come to the nation’s rescue. And Buhari could not wait. He hastily commissioned the refinery that could not be said to be ready. No one is sharing in the attendant risks of setting up the refinery, the obvious being the technology that is triggering movement away from fossil fuel to gas-powered auto-mobiles and solar energy to replace diesel in manufacturing firms. Even if the threats seem far and slow in coming, the potentiality is staring us in the face. As we now know he has not received a dime, not even for the vaunted NNPCL purported investment formerly put at 20 percent, later 7percent. NNPCL has not paid for any equity in the refinery.
What we get from that sector is demarketing that the product from the refinery is sub-standard, which has been proven by Dangote to be false. Already, part of the value chain of the Dangote refinery is employment of 30, 000 hands. It has the potential of 100, 000 in the long-run. Is this the kind of person the nation can afford to disparage? Yet, we do not shrink in efforts to frustrate him and splash dirt on his character and linen by drawing up a litany of transgressions! As our fathers would say, Eni ti o se obe ate a ni ki Sango ko pa a; eni ti ko se rara nko? Translated roughly, We pray the god of thunder to strike down the woman who has prepared a tasteless soup. What then do we ask should happen to the one who did not prepare any whatsoever when the household is assailed by hunger?
As Otedola states: “Aliko Dangote is also the largest private sector employer of labour in the country, and his companies are among the largest taxpayers. In fact, the Dangote group often pays more in taxes than the top banks combined. If not for him, we would be importing cement. His contributions extend beyond industrial facilities to critical infrastructure having built major roads such as Apapa Oshodi-Oworonsoki Express Road, Wharf Road, and the Obajana-Kabba Road.”
Otedola adds: “Countries in the nascent stages of industrialization require visionary leaders. This is why it’s no surprise that the United States was built by the vision and tenacity of a few remarkable individuals.” He lists them and goes on to say“…These men left the world without these assets but left behind a legacy that has kept their country thriving generation after generation. Their contributions were immortalized not in the material wealth they amassed but in the enduring institutions and industries they established. These visionaries were also supported by their government, which recognized the importance of fostering local champions.”
What many working to frustrate Aliko Dangote and pull him down largely out of envy may wish to know is that the table of the Lord is heavily laden for everyone and each human being only approaches it according to his ability. What determines the ability? It is the immutable Laws of Nature and how much compliance have we made as individuals. Obviously a great many are oblivious of the fact that this world, nay, Creation is governed and that there are consequences for every activity be it thoughts, speeches or actions of every human being. Stephen Lampe, in his invaluable book, The Primordial Laws of Creation, puts it more glaringly: “We human beings are equal before the Primordial Laws. But this does not translate into equality in circumstances or conditions of all individuals because individuals do not obey the Laws to the same extent; their unequal extents of adjustments to the Laws result in unequal outcomes.”
The mysteries of equal endowments may be coming from a previous earth-life, not just in materials terms, even in music, in the arts. Those in whom these traits manifest early are referred to as prodigies. For our conditions to change, as I have said a few times in these pages, we must seek knowledge and adjust accordingly. Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has debunked any special favours to Dangote. Emir Lamido Sanusi said: “Aliko Dangote did not fix the price at which the CBN got dollars. Everyone who got dollars from the CBN got dollars at same rate if they bought on the same day. So we cannot blame him for buying dollars at a rate the CBN itself decided to sell to its customers.”
He spoke about Dangote from his knowledge and records as a former Governor of Central Bank. What favours were endued Dangote that were denied others? Did Aliko also receive favours from about 30 African countries where he has established cement firms? In any case if the government sees him as a great asset to the country and it gives him necessary assistance by way of reduced duties for imported machinery or spare parts for his plants, what is wrong with that? Is there anyone in a similar situation whose application for such was turned down? Lamido Sanusi went on, in his characteristic bluntness, putting his fingers on what many have suspected is the crux of the matter, on what is believed to be the cause of antagonism to Dangote from certain quarters: His refinery permanently ending the prospect of the return of fuel importation and the attendant subsidy under whatever guise. “By the way, how much forex did Dangote buy from the CBN at this subsidized rate?” Lamido Sanusi asked. “How much forex did NNPC take from the Federation account in the same year in the name of running and turning around its dead refineries?”
“If any Nigerian came to me as a Central Bank Governor with a project like this refinery I would recognize immediately its potential impact on the economy and give it all the support needed. Let our views on forex policies not becloud our sense of priorities… To my mind, giving dollars for construction of a refinery is better than rice importation and, indeed, almost every other enterprise apart from education and health, given the impact on the macro. It is a very rich argument from an entity that had taken billions of dollars in the name of turnaround maintenance and had not produced a drop of product from four refineries because it is more profitable to continue extracting rent in the name of subsidy…NNPC and its spinoffs have lost any right to talk until they fix the mess they have thrown us into.”
Omo t’o ba gbe’pa la a gbe! You lift a child who signals he wants to be carried by raising his arms! Even if Dangote had sought special support from the government, for our collective good, why should he be denied the help? This should remind us of the Parable of the Talents, (Matthew 25: 14-30). Addressing His Disciples, the Lord Jesus Christ said “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” The Lord was drawing attention to the immutable Laws of Nature in activity, in this case the Law of Movement. This teaches us that when we bury our talents there are consequences. There are complaints and recriminations; there is envy; there is ill-will. He who uses them flourishes and harvests multiple results.
Where are we all coming from that we find ourselves at different stations in life? In the Work, In the Light of Truth, The Grail Message by Abd-ru-shin, it is stated: “Only at the beginning of every matter is man free to resolve, free to decide where the Omnipotent Power flowing through him is to be guided, in what direction. He must then bear the consequences arising from the Power that was set in motion in the direction willed by him.”
More from It: “This free decision has at some time or other preceded every reciprocal action, thus every fate! With a first volition man has each time produced or created something in which he himself has to live afterwards, sooner or later. When this will happen, however, varies greatly. It can still be in the same earth-life in which his first volition made the beginning for it, but it can equally well happen in the Ethereal World when the gross material body has been laid aside, or later still in yet another gross material earth-life.”
It is further stated: “The variations are not important here, they do not free man from the consequences. He carries the connecting threads with him continually, until he is redeemed from them, that is to say, ‘detached’ through the final effect that ensues through the Law of Reciprocal Action.
“The one who forms is bound to his own work, even if he has intended it for others!” This calls for deep reflection. Indeed, we will find as Cassius says to his friend Brutus: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” Nigeria is a free market economy the only system that provides the environment for the unfolding of talents and abilities. The sky, as they say, is wide enough for all birds to fly and demonstrate their dexterity. Dangote is an exemplar of hard work, a multi-tasked fellow and who excels in all. He is one who undoubtedly listens to stirrings within him—to his intuition!
Otedola says a lot more about Aliko Dangote that a great many do not know about him. Hear him: “My brother, the Visionary, has built the largest single train refinery in the world, not in Kano, but in Lagos State. He is the owner of the second-largest sugar refinery in the world, also in Lagos State, and the largest cement factory in the world, not in Kano, but Kogi State. Additionally, he has established one of the second-largest fertilizer plants in the world, soon to surpass the biggest one in Qatar, also in Lagos State that already exports globally.”
The least all men of goodwill can do and which is expected of them is to give Aliko Dangote encouragement. He should not hand over the refinery to NNPCL that cannot run its own four refineries. All men of character and goodwill should form a wall of defence around him, a titan, yet disarmingly simple, and a jewel. Dangote, a pride of the Black race!
