Unic Press UK: One of Nigeria’s leading legal entities engaged in infrastructure and food business, the BUA Group, has denied being a recipient of undue concessions of the Nigerian Government with regard to moving goods to/fro the borders at a time the country’s borders’ are officially shut.
In a statement, obviously a reaction to the public denunciation of the Buhari administration’s approval to a notable conglomerate Dangote Group and a few others to freely move to/for Nigeria’s border at a time the Government claimed to be implementing a border closure policy, the BUA Group’s head of corporate communications, Otega Ogra, said:
“BUA Cement does not have any blanket approval to export and the Nigerian borders remain closed. BUA Cement was granted a limited approval to export some cement to Niger Republic (which is 100kms from our plant), and this was disclosed in our half-year results and presentations to the investing and general public”, the Premium Times reports.
Reports had emerged Tuesday that BUA received government approval via a memo dated 18 June 2020 – signed by Dimka V.D, Custom Comptroller (Enforcement, Hqtrs) on behalf of Deputy Comptroller-General (E,I&I) – to move cement to Niger Republic.
Many prominent Nigerians are still questioning the rationale behind the Government’s preferential treatment to Dangote and BUA.
In a tweet, a banking guru and the founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside said:
“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. I have since learnt that Bua Group were also allowed to export goods through Nigeria’s “closed” land borders. FG should please accept that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. When will the FG consider small honest businesses that are not so well-connected?”
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
— Atedo Peterside (@AtedoPeterside) November 10, 2020
I have since learnt that Bua Group were also allowed to export goods through Nigeria's "closed" land borders. FG should please accept that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. When will the FG consider small honest businesses that are not so well-connected?
— Atedo Peterside (@AtedoPeterside) November 10, 2020
