The Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Mathew Kolawole, has blamed sabotage for the early morning inferno that gutted the State Assembly Complex on Monday.
The fire that razed the chamber of the assembly was said to have started in the early hours and was on till 8am when a fire engine that belonged to Dangote Cement, Obajana arrived to extinguish the fire.
Speaking with journalists at the premises of the assembly complex on Monday, the Speaker expressed concern over the incident.
He, however, said he could not specifically state who might have been responsible for the fire outbreak.
“I can’t say categorically who might have been responsible, but I will urge us to wait until the security operatives conclude their investigation and send us their reports,” he said.
Meanwhile, a senior member of staff at the assembly who did not want his name in print said the fire might have come from an explosive planted by the suspected saboteur.
“Only an explosive can cause a crack in the wall such as the one in the hallowed chamber,” he noted.
The state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement issued on Monday, noted that security and technical experts have commenced their work to unravel the cause of the inferno, which had caused significant damage to the complex.
“As new findings emerge, the state government will notify the general public,” he said.
He added that the state government will also make provisions for temporary arrangements to ensure that the legislative business is not completely halted as a result of the unfortunate incident.
Meanwhile, Dangote Industries Limited has refuted allegations about its involvement in the fire and also condemned the state government’s attempt to smear its image before local and international investors and thus erode its brand value.
It further stated that it is unthinkable the company will stoop so low as to sponsor thugs to destroy property owned by either the government or individuals.
This was contained in a statement by the company’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Tony Chiejina, as a sequel to an earlier press statement in circulation that was said to have been issued by the Kogi State government.
It partly read, “Our attention has been drawn to a circulating press statement issued by the Kogi State Government, wherein the Dangote Group was accused of allegedly sponsoring arsonists to set the Kogi State House of Assembly on fire in the early hours of Monday, October 10, 2022.”
“The statement titled, ‘Obajana: Desperation sets in as imported hoodlums burn down Kogi Assembly’ which was signed by the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, pointedly accused our company of burning the complex ‘in an attempt to possibly destroy evidence relating to the ownership tussle between the Kogi State Government and the Dangote Group over the Obajana Cement Company.’
“As a socially responsible corporate entity, we refute this allegation and condemn this unprofessional and irresponsible attempt to smear our image before local and international investors and thus erode our brand value.
“Dangote Group would never stoop so low as to sponsor thugs to destroy any property, whether it belonged to the government or an individual. This runs contrary to our business ethos and everything we stand for as a leading manufacturer with teeming customers and consumers across Nigeria and Africa.
“Our lawyers have been mandated to react appropriately to the damaging allegation from the Kogi State Government within the full extent of the law.
“We urge our stakeholders and the public to disregard such irresponsible and insane statements as we ask all our stakeholders, namely shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees, and the entire community of Obajana and Kogi State at large to remain calm while we follow the legitimate and lawful process to resolve this matter with the state government.”
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka, has shared the details of the incidents with the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department to commence investigations in synergy with the Fire Service and unravel the remote and immediate cause of the inferno.
A statement issued on Monday by the command’s spokesperson, William Aya, read, “Consequent upon the fire outbreak that razed down the gallery and chambers at the Kogi State House of Assembly today, September 10, 2022, the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, led a team of tactical operatives on the spot assessment and has equally ordered for a thorough investigation into the incident.
“He has also deployed tactical teams to cordon off the complex for preservation and to ensure adequate security.”
