Business

UNION BANK TAKES OVER SANI DANGOTE’S DANSA FOODS OVER N4 BILLION DEBT

Published

9 years ago

July 24, 2015

This is not the best of times for Dana Foods boss, Sani Dangote who is the junior brother of one of
the Nigeria foremost Industrialist, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

He is reported to have run into trouble waters as a commercial bank in Nigeria Union bank plc has appointed a Lagos Lawyer, Barrister Chukwudi Enebeli of Pinheiro and company as Receiver/Manager over his company Dansa foods limited.
The takeover of Dansa foods limited was as a result of inability of Alhaji Sani Dangote to pay back a loan of N4 billion he obtained from the bank.
Mr Chukwudi Enebeli was appointed under the deed of Denture to take over all assets of Dansa Foods limited a company incorporated in Nigeria and having its registered office at 1, Dansa Drive off
Badagry Expressway, Abule Oshun Lagos as a charge was created in favour of Union bank
over all fixed and floating assets of the company to secure the monies expressly borrowed.
By virtue of the said of the ALL ASSETS DEBENTURE, the balance of an outstanding sums thereby secured have become payable and the company has failed or neglected to pay the sums due in spite of repeated demands by the bank.
Consequently, further to the power set out in ALL ASSETS DEBENTURE the bank then exercise its power to appoint a receiver as set down in the said ALL ASSETS DEBENTUURE The Deed of Debenture appointing Mr Chukwudi Enebeli of Pinheiro and company 8A Taiwo Koya street. Ilupeju Bye- Pass Lagos has been filed and registered with Corporate Affair Commission at Abuja.

Meanwhile, due to the obstinacy and resistance of the Directors of Dansa foods company to allow the Receiver/Manager to perform his duty of running the company smoothly, the Receiver/Manager Barrister Chukuwudi Enebeli alongside Union bank of Nigeria Plc and Dansa Foods limited in Receivership have dragged Alhaji Sani Dangote and three other Directors of the company Alhaji Abdulkaarim Lawal Kaita, Alhaji Ahmed Shehu Yakasai and Alhaji Mohammed Sani Dangote before a Federal high court in Lagos,seeking the following orders of the court:
(1) A Declaration that upon the
appointment of Mr chukwudi Enebeli as
Receiver/Manager over Dansa foods Limited
the respondents who are Directors and
shareholders of the company have no power
or control over the company or any of its
assets.
(2) A Declaration that by virtue of
clauses 8 and 9 of the Deed of Debenture
dated 29th of May,2009 in favour of Mr
chukwudi Enebeli the Receiver/Manager
appointed by Union bank of Nigeria Plc is
entitled to perform all functions
specified in the deed of all assets
Debenture.
(3) An order directing all creditors of
Dansa foods Limited to pay and domicile
all monies due, incomes,or receivables
accruing to or due to the company into the
receivership account opened by the
Receive/Manager in Union bank Plc.
(4)A order of the court directing the
Receiver/Manager in exercise and discharge
of his function to take such steps as may
necessary and exercise such powers
including the powers to take over and
apply in realization of the company’s debt
to Union bank Plc all monies due to the
company
(5) An order restraining all the
respondents and their agents from
disturbing the Receiver/Manager from
exercising. Powers vested in him whether
by himself or his agents
(6) An order directing all Police Officers
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or
other officers concerned with security and
enforcement of order to with “The
Inspector General of Police, Assistant.
Inspector General of Police and other
Police officers so instructed by the
Receiver/Manager to assist him in
performance of his duutes
In an affidavit sworn to by Mrs Olorunfunmilola Ayoola,head Food team of Union bank ,filed and argued before the court by Mr Kemi Pinheiro SAN,the Deponent averred that sometimes in 2008 Dansa Foods Limited was at its request granted loan of N5,200,000,000 by Union bank plc
The loan comprises of the following:
(1)Overdraft-N500million
(2)Short term loan for advertisement-
N500million
(3)Equipment lease-US$2,500,000,
(N300million)
(4)Equipment lease(sale and lease back)-US
$2,500,000(N300milion)
(5)Import Finance-US
$30,000,000(3,600,000,000)
The loan was disbursed to Dansa Foods company and fully utilized by the company.
The company duly executed a deed of all assets debenture in favour of Union bank
However, the company has failed to liquidate its indebtedness to the bank despite the services of several demand letters by the bank and its solicitors on the company.
Consequent upon the default of the company, the bank in exercise of its power under the clauses 8 and 9 of the all assets debenture appointed Mr Chukuwudi Enebeli as Receiver/Manager over the company,subsequently the said deed of appointment was filed at the Corporate Affairs Commission and a certificate of such filling accordingly issued.
Mrs Ayoola averred further that the loans granted the company are depositors funds and if same is not recover through the Receiver/Manager,the survival of the bank will jeopardized in view of the amount of the indebtedness consequently urged the court to grant the prayers sought by the bank so as to prevent the respondents who are directors and shareholder of the company from dissipating the assets of the company and for the effective discharge of the powers of the Receiver/Manager.
However, in a preliminary objection filed before the court by Mr Rickey Tarfa SAN on behalf of the respondents,he urged the court to strick out the suit on the ground that Mr ckuwudi Enebeli being a party in the suit,lacks the capacity to act as counsel for parties in the suit of the
instant application,in addition Mr Segun Odubela from the law firm of Ricky Tarfa contended that the court processes were signed by Chukwudi Enebeli as counsel acting for Union bank plc and Dansa Foods
Limited in receivership.
The presiding Judge Mohammed Yunusa has adjourned till 19th October, when
judgement will be delivered.

Business

ATMs empty as banks ration withdrawals

Published

16 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Sahara Weekly

ATMs empty as banks ration withdrawals

The Automated Teller Machines of Deposit Money Banks have consistently remained empty in recent months as banks grapple with a sustained low cash supply.

It was also gathered on Wednesday that some DMBs, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory, have begun another round of cash rationing, restricting maximum over-the-counter withdrawals to a daily limit between N5,000 and N20,000.

While banks struggle to get cash, Point-of-Sales operators have been fulfilling the cash needs of customers.

Speaking at the Facts Behind the Rights Issue Presentation of FBN Holdings at the Nigerian Exchange Limited recently, the Executive Director/Chief Financial Officer of First Bank, Patrick Iyamabo, said that the matter was an industry-wide one and not peculiar to a specific bank.

He said, “It is an industry problem. Most customers after exhausting the options available in other banks, tend to settle at FirstBank to address their cash needs. The challenge differs by location but we know it is a challenge that the regulator is looking into to address. But as we speak of physical cash, we must appreciate that the direction of the industry is to go digital.

“A lot of our customers do most of their transactions digitally, and you heard the GMD speak to this, very often people don’t want to transact in cash. In terms of this new order, your bank, FirstBank is very well positioned so if you look at the statistics and I’m speaking to independent statistics, just pick up your NIBSS report, the bank with the most stable platform meaning availability to always transact digitally is FirstBank. So, all our customers have the benefits of having their cash in First Bank and having access to this cash anytime anywhere and as necessary. It’s a huge advantage.”

Speaking anonymously with The PUNCH, a banker at a tier-1 bank put the blame on the Central Bank of Nigeria.

As a result, many people have turned to Point-of-Sale operators, who have become the primary channel for cash withdrawals, albeit often at higher transaction fees.

Major commercial banks visited by one of our correspondents on Wednesday claimed not to have sufficient cash allocation hence the ration withdrawals to serve more customers.

The banks visited include Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank along Airport Road, and EcoBank at Jabi in Abuja.

A bank customer at EcoBank, who spoke without mentioning her name, said she was only allowed to withdraw N5,000 from N20,000 previously allowed.

“I was just informed that I can only withdraw N5,000 from my account. Can you imagine? The amount will can’t even take me home.”

Our correspondent received the same answer when he attempted to obtain cash.

At GTBank and Zenith Bank along the airport road, customers were permitted a maximum withdrawal of N20,000 from N100,000 previously disbursed as a daily limit.

A customer, Mr Faith, who visited the bank expressed shock about the new limit. He said the banks didn’t give any cogent reason for reducing the withdrawal limit.

“I just visited these banks, and I was informed that I can only withdraw N20,000 from N100,000, which was the previous limit. They didn’t even give any reason for reducing, now I have to start looking for cash elsewhere. This country is just so annoying,” He vented.

Cash scarcity became a recurring and widespread issue across Nigeria after the Central Bank of Nigeria introduced a controversial policy in January 2023, which significantly reduced the daily and weekly cash withdrawal limits to N100,000 daily, N500,000 weekly for individuals, and N5m for business entities.

This decision, aimed at encouraging a cashless economy, led to long queues at ATMs, increased difficulty in accessing physical cash, and a general disruption of daily financial transactions for millions of Nigerians.

The policy’s impact was felt particularly by those in rural areas and lower-income groups, who rely heavily on cash for their day-to-day needs, exacerbating economic hardships across the country.

Last week, data from the CBN showed that currency in circulation climbed 56.1 per cent year-on-year to reach N4.31tn, up from N2.76tn in September 2023, reflecting an increase of N1.55tn.

This is just as currency outside banks surged by 66.2 per cent in September 2024, reaching N4.02tn compared to N2.42tn in September 2023, a notable rise of N1.60tn in just one year.

This indicates that the volume of currency retained outside the banking sector outpaced the total released for circulation within the past year.

Compared to August 2024, currency in circulation rose by 4.0 per cent month-on-month, adding N166.2bn from the previous figure of N4.14tn.

The CIC is the amount of cash–in the form of paper notes or coins–within a country that is physically used to conduct transactions between consumers and businesses. It represents the money that has been issued by the country’s monetary authority, minus cash that has been removed from the system.

Earlier in September, the CBN announced plans to sanction banks that fail to dispense cash through their automated teller machines, as part of efforts to improve cash availability in circulation.

The CBN also revealed plans to release an additional N1.4tn into circulation over the next three months to ease cash flow within the banking system.

This strategy aims to ensure that ATMs and bank branches have sufficient cash, addressing ongoing challenges faced by customers over cash shortages.

Efforts to get a reaction from the apex bank on the new situation proved abortive as the acting Director, Corporate Communications, Sidi Ali Hakama, did not respond to enquiries sent to her phone number.

Business

NNPCL Makes New Leadership Appointments

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Sahara Weekly

NNPCL Makes New Leadership Appointments

The Board of Directors of Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has just made fresh leadership appointments.

A communication by Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the nation’s oil company, announcing the development reads…

The Board of Directors of NNPC Limited is pleased to announce a series of strategic leadership appointments. These changes
reflect our continued dedication to enhancing corporate governance, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring long-term success in Nigeria’s energy sector.

The following key appointments have been made:
1. Mr. Adedapo A. Segun has been appointed as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Segun previously served as the Executive Vice President, Downstream, where he made significant contributions to the company’s downstream operations.
2. Mr. Isiyaku Abdullahi has been named Executive Vice President (EVP), Downstream.
3. Mr. Udobong Ntia has been appointed Executive Vice President (EVP), Upstream.

These appointments align with NNPC Limited’s commitment to building a unified and competent leadership team to drive operational excellence and support the organization’s strategic objectives.

The Board and Management also extend their deepest appreciation to Mr. Umar Ajiya and Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa A. Eyesan for their outstanding dedication and service to NNPC Limited.

NNPC Limited remains committed to achieving operational excellence, enhancing global competitiveness, and ensuring financial sustainability, while prioritizing the interests of the Nigerian public in the petroleum industry.

Olufemi Soneye
Chief Corporate Communications Officer
NNPC Limited
November 13, 2024S

Business

Oil Cabals crippled Govt Refineries, now working against Dangote Refinery – Pastor Adeboye

Published

1 day ago

November 13, 2024

Sahara Weekly

How Prophet Kingsley Predicted The Rumble In Pastor Adeboye Led RCCG

Oil Cabals crippled Govt Refineries, now working against Dangote Refinery – Pastor Adeboye

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged Nigerians to pray for divine intervention in the face of efforts by unscrupulous oil marketers to thwart the operations of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, following the previous sabotage of Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries.

The respected clergyman made the call for nationwide prayers during the November 2024 Abuja Special Holy Ghost Service themed ‘Total Restoration’, which held in the capital city. While Adeboye did not explicitly name the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, his remarks echoed the ongoing attempts by oil marketers to prevent the refinery from functioning as it was designed to.

The Dangote Refinery based in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos is the only facility currently refining petrol in Nigeria, and Adeboye’s comments reflected the dispute between the refinery and oil marketers, who seek to continue importing fuel for personal gain.

Pastor Adeboye reminded the congregation that it was God who raised Aliko Dangote to establish a refinery after years of failed attempts to revive Nigeria’s four public refineries, which had consumed billions of Naira with little result. He questioned the persistence of fuel imports despite Nigeria’s status as a major crude oil producer.

“Are we under a curse?” he asked. “We have four refineries, we poured all kinds of money into them, none of them is working. But God raised someone to build a refinery that works. He is not my relative, he is not from my village. He is not even a Christian, but he is a Nigerian who says, ‘Why should my people suffer when I have the means to build a refinery that can work?’ Now he is refining petrol, and some people want to stop him from selling it, so they can keep importing.”

Adeboye also pointed out the damage caused by the fuel subsidy, describing it as a significant drain on Nigeria’s resources, contributing to the country’s mounting debts and corruption. He stressed that when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the end of the subsidy in 2023, Nigerians largely welcomed the decision, but oil marketers, who benefitted from the subsidy regime, were furious.

These marketers, the renowned pastor claimed, have formed alliances with some International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other powerful interests to obstruct the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This includes restricting access to crude oil, forcing Dangote to import crude from countries like the United States, among others.

He called for prayer for the total restoration of the country, noting that the Nigerian people are suffering the consequences, as the prices of essential goods have soared, pushing many items beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. “The masses are the ones suffering because these marketers, who are bent on keeping imports alive, already have more money than they can ever spend,” he said.

Despite the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s capacity to meet Nigeria’s entire demand for petroleum products – and even to export surplus fuel – oil marketers continue to pressurise the government to allow ongoing petrol imports. This has placed additional strain on the Naira, which has continued to depreciate.

Recently, the Crude Oil Refineries Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) urged the government to protect local refineries from unfair competition posed by importers and international petroleum traders, in line with provisions in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).