Concerning ownership of its cement factory in Obajana, a town located in the Oworo region of the Lokoja Local Government Area, the government of Kogi State has filed a lawsuit against Dangote Industries Limited, the parent company of Dangote Cement Plc.
The action was filed at the Kogi State High Court, Lokoja Judicial Division, according to a copy of the originating summons with the marking HcL/8T/2022 that was made accessible to our reporter.
In a lawsuit filed on October 18, 2022, the state government is requesting that the court review the contract signed by DIL and the Kogi government on July 30, 2002 and February 14, 2003, respectively, critically in order to determine whether or not the deal included sufficient compensation.
The government is also asking the court to, in the event that the above claim is verified, nullify the agreement on the basis of lack of due consideration, which is an essential ingredient of a valid contract.
The summons partly read, “Whether upon careful examination and consideration of the agreements made between Kogi State Government and Dangote Industries Limited on the 30th day of July, 2022 and 14th day of February 2003 respectively, it is not apparent that consideration (an essential ingredient of a valid contract) is lacking”?
The Kogi State Government is also asking for remedies, including a ruling that Dangote Industries Limited is not entitled to any benefits from the invalid contracts it entered into on July 30, 2002, and February 14, 2003, respectively, because it did not give it any consideration.
Additionally, it requests that the agreements made on July 30, 2002, and February 14, 2003, respectively, be declared invalid for lack of consideration.
An order of perpetual injunction prohibiting Dangote Industries Limited, any of its agents, or assigns from further using and/or benefiting from the agreement between the Kogi State Government and Dangote Industries Limited, dated July 30, 2002, and February 14, 2003, is another request made by the state government.
Mrs. Folashade Arike Ayoade, the secretary to the Kogi State Government, stated in an affidavit in support of the originating summons that the Kogi State Government was the only entity that established the Obajana Cement Company in 1992.
As of the time this article was filed, Jibrin Abubakar, a representative of Dangote Cement Plc’s corporate affairs department, has not returned calls or texts asking for his thoughts on the incident.
The court hearing for the lawsuit has not yet been scheduled.
