Multiple sources in the Dangote Group also said the report was “false and malicious”
Contrary to some reports that the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) could take over the Dangote Refinery over debts owed to banks, the corporation has denied such claims, saying it has no business with the group.
On Tuesday, some online news platforms reported that Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, could forfeit the Dangote Refinery over a $7 billion debt burden owed to commercial banks in the country with a possible takeover AMCON.
AMCON, however, denied such plans. It said neither Dangote Refinery nor the Dangote Group is on its debtors’ list, hence it couldn’t have the plan to take over the assets.
Head of Corporate Communications at AMCON, Jude Nwauzor, told newsmen that since the Dangote Group is not on its debtors’ list, the rumour that it was planning to take over the assets of Dangote Refineries is false.
Multiple sources in the Dangote Group also said the report was “false and malicious”, as the group has the capacity to service and pay its debt.
AMCON had in 2010 purchased 12,743 bad loans worth N3.8 trillion from 22 Eligible Financial Institutions (EFIs) for a purchase price of N1.8 trillion.
According to AMCON, Dangote Refineries was not part of the bad debts that it took over and there was no way it would be taking over the assets of the company now.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) had recently approved the acquisition of a 20 per cent minority stake by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the Dangote Petroleum and Petrochemical Refinery.
It was reported that Dangote Oil Refinery is a 650,000-barrel per day (BPD) integrated refinery project under construction in the Lekki Free Zone of Lagos.
