Amosun tackles Abiodun over Ogun’s loss of Dangote refinery to Lagos
A former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, yesterday replied to Governor Dapo Abiodun over an allegation of culpability in the loss of the multibillion dollar Dangote Refinery to Lagos State.
Abiodun had on Tuesday accused Amosun of scuttling Ogun’s chance of hosting the $18.5bn project due to an alleged disagreement between him and the business mogul, Aliko Dangote.
Daily Trust had reported how the inauguration of the refinery on Monday sparked a fresh controversy in Ogun State.
The monumental investment was to be sited in Ogun State before it was moved to its present location in the neighbouring Lagos State.
Shortly after the inauguration of the project on Monday, some stakeholders in the state rued the loss of the project to Lagos State.
Segun Showunmi, the governorship aspirant of PDP in the 2023 elections, blamed the loss on “bad politics” and called for a law “that punishes economic sabotage occasioned by bad politics.”
In his reaction, Abiodun said he was not responsible for the loss of the refinery to Lagos.
He said it was an alleged disagreement between Amosun and Dangote that made Ogun lose the project to Lagos.
Our correspondent reports that Abiodun was the chairman of the committee on the Olokola Free Trade Zone projects at the period when the project was lost to Lagos State.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Abiodun admitted serving as the chairman of the committee, saying he “did everything possible to make sure the project saw the light of day.”
He further stated:“The then governor, perhaps, having a personal axe to grind with the promoter of the refinery project, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, frustrated all the efforts of Governor Abiodun and his committee.”
But Amosun yesterday fired back at his successor and challenged him to state facts on the loss of the project when he (Abiodun) served as the chairman of the committee on the Olokola Free Trade Zone projects.
Amosun’s reaction was contained in a statement signed by his media aide, Bola Adeyemi, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta.
The senator representing Ogun Central said one of the major reasons that made Ogun lose the project was his administration’s insistence “that about 500 hectares must be set aside and protected for the benefit of our people in Ogun East, and in particular, the host community, Ogun Waterside.”