Ganduje family not shareholders in Dala Inland Dry Port, says management

The management of Dala Inland Dry Port (DIDP) 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, are shareholders in the company.

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) had announced that it was investigating the alleged diversion of more than N4 billion of state funds into the Dala Inland Dry Port.

The commission had said the probe would focus on claims that contracts worth billions of naira for infrastructure were awarded at the port during the tenure of Ganduje as governor of Kano, shortly after the state’s purported 20 percent equity was allegedly converted to the former governor’s family in 2020.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Adamu Sanda, the company secretary, said the claims do not reflect the true ownership or structure of the firm.

Sanda said the equity contributions of stakeholders are “clearly documented, duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), and subject to routine oversight”.

He dismissed reports that the Kano state government holds a 20 percent stake in the company, describing them as “false and misleading”.

“The allegation that members of the Ganduje family are shareholders or directors in Dala Inland Dry Port is entirely false,” the statement reads.

“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.

“The company was originally owned and managed by Ahmad Rabi’u and his associates before he invited City Green Enterprises (CGE) to invest in the project after years of dormancy.

“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.”

On the claim that the Kano state government holds a 20 percent share, Sanda said the state’s involvement 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.”