The Ogun State Governor,Dapo Abiodun, has blamed his predecessor, Ibikunle Amosun for frustrating Aliko Dangote out of the state.
According to him, the former governor was responsible for why the $19 billion Dangote refinery was not built in Ogun State.
Naija New reports that Abiodun in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin on Tuesday, said he should not be blamed for the loss.
According to the governor, he was Chairman, Olokola Free Trade Zone, in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state during the administration of former governor Amosun, and he was not part of the moves that frustrated Dangote out of the state.
It was gathered that Dangote had initially picked Ogun State for the refinery, which was inaugurated on Monday, in Lagos.
However things didn’t work out between him and the Ogun State government, so he relocated the project to Lagos.
The governor’s reaction follows allegation laid by former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the state, Segun Sowunmi.
The PDP chieftain had blamed Abiodun’s government for the loss of the $19 million Dangote refinery.
In the statement, Abiodun submitted that Amosun should be blamed for the reason Ogun lost the opportunity to host the mega refinery.
He said “Any true born Ogun indigene will sincerely be pained by the huge investment loss, especially when Ogun had been marked as the most suitable natural location for the mega project in Olokola Free Trade Zone, in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area of the state.”
Explaining his role, he said, “Governor Abiodun, as the chairman of the committee and a big player in the oil and gas industry himself, did everything possible to make sure the project saw the light of the day.
“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.
“The immediate Chairman, Board of Directors of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Mrs Ronke Sokefun, who was then a commissioner, served as the secretary of the committee, which engaged Dangote on the mega project.
“Instead of showing enthusiasm towards hosting the project in the state, the former governor brazenly opposed and obstructed efforts of the Abiodun-led committee in ensuring that the OKFTZ came into fruition.”
