By Erasmus Ikhide
As the tallies tumble in wrong places for Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s business empire, the dormant Nigeria State and its docile citizens who shut their eyes to his business profligacy, are surely learning to relive its horrors. Like the rise and fall of empires, the shylock businessman is now grappling with an end to his carnival-like business gaiety, as the changes in structure and texture confront him like thunderbolt. The initial grandstanding that the STRONG do what they can and the WEAK suffer what they must, associated with Dangote’s business suicide agenda against the masses, is evaporating. Welcome to an end to the chaotic business amalgam, where Nigerians bear the brunt of precarious national contradictions. Surely, it should never be business as usual for the wicked enemies of the Nigerian State; we all must wake up now!
Part four of this literary expository debate on how the ‘Richest Thief’ in Africa, bungled his way through business dominance and dehumanizing vanity by suppressing others; using corrupt political office holders’ stolen funds, to furnish his atrocious greed; is truly engaging and revealing.
I will be reeling out a few email responses of my readers across the globe, on this all-interesting subject without revealing their full identities for their safety and protection purposes. This is because from historical records, corrupt business mafias are known killers:
EXCERPTS:
“(1) Hello, Good morning, I am Michael, a consumer rights activist and an antitrust lawyer. I read your piece on Dangote and thought to reach out to you. The reason is non-other than the fact that I am in search of collaborations with like minds on issues bothering antitrust or anti-competition in Nigeria. I look forward to hearing from you. Michael Esq., Abuja.
“(2) Appreciation revelation on refinery/ multifaceted company tagged Dangote. The can of worms is colossal. May we survive all the exploitations of the rich against the masses in Nigeria. From New York City.
“(3) I hope this email finds you well. I read your excerpts on many woes bedeviling this country in the hands of the few oligarchs. The revelations concerning Dangote wasn’t that shocking, it was much expected, though difficult to assert for the want of facts. Please how do we get this better into public space and where do we go from here? This is revealing and sad indeed. Tope, Ekiti
“(4) I sincerely appreciate your efforts at putting the records straight in the affairs of governance in Nigeria through your regular write ups. I’m indeed very impressed by how much effort you put into presenting your facts, your analyses of figures and statistics on the subject matter you present and other details you give. Yusuf, San- Antonio, Texas.
“(5). Please keep up this good work and be rest assured that there are quite some millions of readers of your contributions, who appreciate your efforts. I have traveled round the world and I have come to realize from what I have seen elsewhere that our Nigeria is going down down down every day with the rudderless leadership we have had. Andrew, Abuja.
“(6). I’m 72 yrs old and a graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (1975) and a Master’s degree holder of the University of Ibadan (1979)… I have additional qualifications from Universities and Colleges in Europe USA and Israel…I rose to the position of a Director in the Federal Civil Service and retired 12 years ago. Emeka, Benin City.
“(7). I will endeavour to write to you from time to time to encourage you and let you know that you are not alone on how you feel about our dear country Nigeria. Please keep up the good work and let it shine more than ever before. Richard, Port- Harcourt.
“(8) Re: Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s Nigeria.
Your article on the subject was quite apt, self explanatory and divulging. It brings to the fore, the abysmal level of malfeasance and impunity to which our supposed leaders have sunk the polity. From the forgoing, Aliko Dangote’s refinery must be investigated and every single kobo of my dear fatherland brought back to the country’s coffer. All the rogues connected in the shoddy deal must be brought to book irrespective of personality, tribe or tongue. This nonsense must stop!!! Tunde, Lagos.
“(9) Weldon sir, for your well researched article on The Federal Republic of Alhaji Aliko Dangote called Nigeria. More of such from great thinkers like you sir. Lawal from Kano.
“(10) Good morning dear compatriot, I read your piece on social media this morning and was so moved by the facts contained therein and decided to send you this message as a mark of support and acknowledgement of many facts contain therein, except those concerning loans taken from CBN ,but others are facts that every Nigerian can verify physically. The level of injustices melted on Nigerian business men and women at the expense of Dangote is just too much and must be checked in such a way that government has to provide a level playing ground for every indigenous industry to thrive with equity fairness and justice.
Thank you for your enlightenment and spirit lifting submissions. We will pass the right message across to all Nigerians by sharing your post across board. Comrade Ayo from Ogun State Nigeria.
“(11) Weldon sir, for your well researched article on The Federal Republic of Alhaji Aliko Dangote called Nigeria. More of such from great thinkers like you Sir. Obong from River State.
“(12) Your investigation of the above really showed the machinations of the CABALS milking Nigeria. I would like to draw your attention to the following:
1. Dangote also contributed to the death of most thriving TEXTILE INDUSTRIES (e.g. Nigérian Textile Mills, one of the most thriving vertically integrated mill producing100%Cotton fabrics in Nigeria)
2. Dangote polypropylene bag Industry (set up to compete with BAGCO.Your expositions on the above will be much appreciated.
Best regards. Olu from Jos, Plateau State.
“(13) Nation of Thieves…Richest Thief in Africa?! Please share your findings with Forbes… Ibrahim from Sokoto.
“(14) Kindly forward this submission to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Senate President respectively.Many thanks and God bless. Kyari from Bauchi.
“(15)) I was fortunate to read your write up. Am happy we still have some great heart like yours in Nigeria. Please let keep exposing these and let Tinubu know, keep the pressure on him by asking him what his government is doing about this and anytime he visits the US, we here need to ask him such question openly before lnternational Press
Thanks. Aina from California, USA.
“(16) Dear Erasmus, you couldn’t have written this better. May GOD ALMIGHTY continue to bless and keep you. Kind regards. Basil From Imo State.
“(17) This is revealing.
Its time for a rebirth.
Please don’t relent.
Watch out for your known allies who could be compromised.
Pray hard and well too.
God bless you. Jegede from Yobe State.
“(18)) Dear Mr Ikhide,
We need to value our own and not seek to pull them down. I don’t know the truth of the matter on the value of Dangote refinery, but to the extent that there’s also private funding from a consortium banks, I doubt that Dangote would have gotten away with overvaluation. On cement, OBJ gave exclusive import licence to Dangote and a few others (Folawiyo, Ibeto etc), on the proviso that they are committed to establishing cement factories in Nigeria. This was to break the dominance of Lafarge in the business. Only Dangote lived up to that commitment. Others wanted an extension of the exclusive import license. Now Dangote has grown bigger than Lafayette. Why are people not complaining about Lafayette. Why only Dangote? If Dangote is profiteering why can’t Lafayette or BUA step in? If Dangote becomes the sole player in oil refining, it would be the fault of the government and people of Nigeria, who cannot get their refineries to work after several TAM contracts and millions of dollars over a 25 year period. Dangote is my man any day. He is our pride. Uju from Anambra State.
“(19) That was a wonderful piece on Dangote. People like me, when the man suddenly became part of Buhari’s economic team, l knew that that regime was out to short change Nigerians. It’s unfortunate that a govt will deliberately strangulate its own economy for the selfish interest of few.
Pls, we need more of this exposure, perhaps, who knows, God may touch President Tinubu to look into all these Dangote shinanigans.
Thanks. Gabriel, esq. Port Harcourt.
“(20) Do you have a concrete evidence of your write up?if yes kindly proof with facts. Teju from Osogbo.
“(21) Dear Erasmus Ikhide. Thank you for your well researched, documented and lucidly presented masterpiece on the laughable paradoxes of internal colonialism, that continues to manifest in our dear country Nigeria. I have decided, for want of an economic concept to immediately use to describe our situation as described by your piece chosen to title it: Evidence of Disguised ‘Transfer Pricing’ in the Name of a Citizenry – Nigeria as an Example of a Corruption-Ridden Rentier Economy. I consider it an evolving researchable development in Nigeria’s Political Economy Debate. Thank you for the glaring insight and exposure it has provided. Sincerely yours. Yusuph from Zamfara.
“(22) Please always keep us inform of these financial recklessness plaques in Nigeria. Steve, from Ondo State.
“(23) I’m highly indebted with your intellectual work! Idris from Enugu.
“(24) My dear Erasmus,
Good evening. I have been thinking and worried about the happenings in my country. The impunity at which these cabals of the North drain our resources, money with the use of some of our southerners fed with carrots. Isn’t it time we start mobilizing for change and resistance? Concerned citizen. Soni, from United Kingdom.
“(25) Dear sir, I want to commend you for your well researched article. While I commend you, I pray that the Nigeria nation grows out of this neo slavery.
Best Regards, Godspower, from Agbor.
“(26) Thank you so much for the truth and nothing but the truth, don’t have much to say. Chukwudi, from Ebonyi.
“(27) Please furnish Nigerians with tangible facts to buttress this your mind blowing assertion and rape of our economy with supposedly tacit support of the Nigeria Government in power. Mike from Minna, Niger State.
“(28) Good day, sir. Your write up interested me most, which I hasten to contribute. Truly, Nigeria needs people like you, with up to date Records, Fearless and Strong. The question is where are you all this time, until now, when Nigerian treasures have been emptied with a lot of casualties? Please what are your candid opinion and solutions now. Sani, from Kaduna State.”
Out of over two thousand, seven hundred and eighty (2,780) mail responses, I received from the above caption series on Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s destructive business empire, 99% are totally against his stagnating and exploitative business paralysis on the Nigerian State.
The outpouring of endless anger is a testament to the level of the people’s absolute disgust against his dismal and tragic businesses in the country.
As the tallies tumble in wrong places for Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s business empire, the dormant Nigeria State and its docile citizens who shut their eyes to his business profligacy, are surely learning to relive its horrors.
Like the rise and fall of empires, the shylock businessman is now grappling with an end to his carnival-like business gaiety, as the changes in structure and texture confront him like thunderbolt.
The initial grandstanding that the STRONG do what they can and the WEAK suffer what they must, associated with Dangote’s business suicide agenda against the masses, is evaporating.
Welcome to an end to the chaotic business amalgam, where Nigerians bear the brunt of precarious national contradictions. Surely, it should never be business as usual for the wicked enemies of the Nigerian State; we all must wake up now!
Erasmus Ikhide can be reached via: ikhideluckyerasmus
