The management of Dala Inland Dry Port in Kano has denied reports alleging that members of the family of Abdullahi Ganduje, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ex-governor of Kano State, are shareholders in the company.
“The allegation that members of the Ganduje family are shareholders or directors in Dala Inland Dry Port is entirely false,” the company said in a statement.
The company also said Kano State Government has never had any share in the dry port, as such the claim that it holds a 20 percent stake in the company was “false and misleading”.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Adamu Sanda, the company secretary, said both claims were absolutely false and fabricated.
Sanda said anyone seeking to know the equity contributions of stakeholders can do so as they are “clearly documented, duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and subject to routine oversight”.
“Verified records from the CAC and official board resolutions clearly show that no member of the Ganduje family has ever been a shareholder, director, or signatory in Dala Inland Dry Port.
“Prior to the sale, Rabi’u consolidated all shares in his own name after obtaining resignation letters from other directors, including his son. CGE subsequently purchased 80 percent of the company, while Rabi’u retained 20 percent, which he has not fully paid for.”
Sanda added that the alleged allocation of five million shares to Ganduje’s children “is a fabrication”.
“The alleged resolution document is not authentic. It was single-handedly authored and signed by Ahmad Rabi’u without the consent or knowledge of other directors,” he said.
“This forged document is one of several acts of mischief engineered by Rabi’u in a desperate attempt to politicise a private commercial matter following his removal as managing director for poor performance and financial mismanagement.”
He said Kano state government’s involvement in the company was limited to corporate social responsibility (CSR) support at the request of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC).
“The CSR assistance, by definition, does not constitute shareholding or ownership,” he said.
“It was purely developmental support aimed at benefiting traders, businesses, and logistics operators in the state.”
He also refuted claims that one Abdullahi Haruna represented the state government on the board.
“There has never been any record of the said official. Such person has never existed or been known to the company in all its dealings,” Sanda stated.
He maintained that neither Ganduje’s family nor the Kano state government has ever been a shareholder or director.
“You cannot remove an entity that never existed as a shareholder or a director in the first place,” Sanda said.
“The repeated circulation of this falsehood appears to be part of a coordinated attempt to malign Dr Ganduje’s reputation and sow confusion among the public.”
