Hold Dangote Responsible For Importation Of Almajiri Into Igbo Land — COSEYL

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), the umbrella body of all the youth organizations in the South East zone has said the chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has a question to answer over the influx of almajiri into the region.

The Coalition while expressing said the conveyance of almajiri with Dangote trucks into South East is an endorsement of the relocation of almajiri to the region by the richest man in Africa.

In a release signed by the President General, Hon Goodluck Egwu Ibem and Secretary General, Comrade Kanice Igwe, COSEYL accused Dangote of not investing much in the development of the region, wondering why he sees the region as the best settlement for the almajiri.

According to COSEYL, the movement of almajiri to Igbo land is a violation of the ban on interstate movement put in place by the Federal government to curb the spread of coronavirus.

“This seeming ploy and stratagem which enable these persons to inundate the South East at a time governments at all levels are battling to contain and curtail the novel Coronavirus, a contagion decimating humanity is not ideal. It is sad and disappointing quite that since Alhaji Aliko Dangote started spreading his economic tentacles around the South East there is no visible social corporate responsibility project traceable to the Group throughout the entire region. As sad as this seems, Dangote Group should have, as a legal person and entity shown itself as a socially responsible corporate citizen than what is unfolding.

“We call on Dangote because being the executive head of the Group and a leading investor in Africa, it is debasement on the Group and by extension its head that the region which constitutes one of its largest markets will be so rewarded. Aside social corporate reponsibility, there is no known empowerment scheme to our knowledge one could say is the Group’s or Dangote’s project. Is it with this malicious act that the Group and its head rewards a region that has given more than taken same from both?

“Again, we are aware that Northern governors had a joint resolution at their regional forum where the resolve was that each governor takes its own state’s almajirai back. News have it that a good number of these kids tested positive for Covid-19 and the governors to this end could not keep their parts of the bargain as they are now being shipped down South. Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi and other Northern states rank top among states with infected Almajirai, is it to decentralise the virus that motivated this act?

“Heretofore, the Almajirai were legitimate beings but under the evil times as this they now must find home in the Southeast. Our growing concern is informed by the fact that of the covid-19 cases confirmed in Kano, Almajirai have high figures. Not forgetful of the harvest of road accidents that have greeted South East from trucks carrying the Group’s manufacture, the Coalition asks Dangote Group and its head if the South East needs Almajirai more than palliatives towards which the Group’s head had immensely contributed in the North?

“We wish to remind the Group that beyond writing letters to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, it must live up to its billing and live, operate and confine itself within the extent laws of the federation especially by abiding with all stipulated guidelines of ensuring safety. We demand that the Group reviews itself further and inwardly so that this danger is not seen repeating itself.

“The Group should do assessment and findings so as to ascertain why and where this evil is coming from as a stitch in time saves nine. South East, it should be borne in mind is not any region’s dumping ground.” the Coalition said.