This is simply not how to build a nation: one rule for one man, and another for others. Shame to the Nigerian government. I have watched how some Aba manufacturers went under when Nigeria closed the southern border with Cameroon. I have seen how some Lagos exporters who see Togo as their markets struggled because of the same border closure. But here, Nigeria thinks only Dangote Cement deserves exceptions. Shame to these men who run this nation – they do not inspire!
Despite the border closure policy put in place, the Nigerian government has allowed Dangote Cement to resume cement export across its land borders. That exemption is being frowned at among the Nigerian business community with at least one major top Nigerian businessman voicing his concerns publicly.
According to Bloomberg, President Muhammadu Buhari‘s administration gave its authorisation for Africa’s biggest producer to export cement to Niger and Togo in the third quarter for the first time in ten months.
The revelations were made by Michel Puchercos, chief executive officer of Dangote Cement, on an investor call in Lagos, Bloomberg reported on Monday.
The news medium reported Mr Puchercos to have claimed that the development was made possible “through authorisation given by this administration.”
Although the reasons for the concession remains sketchy Monday evening, the new development raises hopes that Africa’s most populous nation may be opening up trade with neighbouring countries after a prolonged blockade.
Mr. President, open the land border. If you have opened it for Dangote Cement, you have to open it for ALL. We do not need authorization for the selected few, we want FULL opening for all. I support this message from the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside via a tweet:
“Allowing legitimate exporters & importers to move their goods across the border should be a no-brainer. Why refuse everybody else & allow only one company (Dangote)? This is why some of us argue that the Nigerian economy is rigged in favour of a handful of well-connected persons.”
Mr. President, I hope you are reading…this asymmetric manipulation and rigging of our economy is offensive and certainly unproductive. As you gave waivers to Dangote Cement, you put Ibeto Cement, Lafarge and others in a position of weakness. These are legal companies and Nigeria is expected to be open and fair to all. The fact is this: if not that the CEO of Dangote Cement revealed this in an earnings call, Nigerians would not have known of this waiver. You need to make amends because this is not how to run a nation. Period.
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It’s either our political managers are bewitched or have outsourced their brains.
They have consistently and deliberately shown that they have lost their minds, so it could help if we can bundle them out, without exception, before they destroy themselves and whatever remains of rest of us.
How does allowing others to export endanger or negatively affect Dangote’s privileges? We have strange situation here, alliens and monsters have invaded and taken over the land!
The first in attempting to come out from a hole is to stop digging, but now we have people we will continue digging until they collapse.
We knew that their performance wouldn’t be great, what we didn’t model well was how horrible and annoying the operators could be.
We await to hear from their spin doctors and loud mouthed PR machines.
For goodness sake,what type of country are?why is there various set of rules for different people and sections of this country?This information is from a very credible source hence it cannot be in doubt, why is one person or a particular part of the country being singled out for government favoritism while other segments are being denied the treatment?It has always been rumored that even when the borders were said to be closed in the south for petroleum products land borders in the north were always left open go these products to pass through with customs turning a blind eye yet the products are derived from the south.The injustice is getting very unbearable and quite open.Government is supposed to be fair to all its citizens but the discrimination is too visible in Nigeria let an end be put to this for the sake of justice.
It’s a shameful and uncivil for a Democratic polity like ours.
How painful it is to our our South Eastern brothers whose businesses has crumbled because of this rudeless government.
It’s not only dangote cement! Bua cement is also exempted too.