BUA Group And Phantom N3,500 Per Bag Cement By Benjamin Oteh

OpenLife Nigeria reproduces, a piece by Benjamin Oteh, a public affairs commentator who reckons that the current economic hardship in Nigeria does not support deceitful statements as demonstrated by Bua Group which raised Nigerians’ hope by promising to reduce cement price from N4, 300 to N3,500 per bag “Just to achieve propagandistic endgame”

“When you start to realize how much of what you have constructed of yourself is based on deception and lies, that is a horrifying realization.” – Jordan Peterson

“As per the commitment made to reduce prices and following a periodic review of our operations for efficiency, the management of BUA Cement Plc wishes to announce and inform our esteemed customers, stakeholders and the public that effective October 2, 2023, we have decided to bring the price reduction forward.

“As a result, BUA Cement would now be sold at an ex-factory price of N3,500 per bag so that Nigerians can begin to enjoy the benefits of the price reduction before the completion of our plants.”—Bua

Over four months since BUA Group made the above announcement to reduce the price of cement from then N4,300 per bag to N3,500, we are yet to see any sign towards fulfilling that highfalutin vis-a-vis hypocritical promise to Nigerians.

Rather, we have since witnessed cement price astronomically surged from N4,300 per bag to N11,000, including BUA Cement, just four months after BUA Group made what has become infamous and sensational announcement, just to achieve propagandistic endgame.

In the face of excruciating hardship in the country, Nigerians in their numbers have been calling out BUA Group on social media for deceiving the entire nation with a fake promise of reducing a bag of cement to N3,500 which the Company had no intention to keep.

How did the price of BUA Cement rise from N4,300 to over N11,000 per bag in the past four months, like other brands of cement in the market, when BUA Group was pontificating as the “saviour” of the Nigerians just to be seen as “the manufacturer that has the interest of Nigerians at heart”?

Why has BUA Group not deem it fit to officially tender an unreserved apology to Nigerians for taking the entire nation on what has appeared to be a propagandistic ride of deception? Why the graveyard silence from BUA Group when price of cement has hit the rooftop, including BUA’s product?

The Group has moral burden here to come out clean in the face of backlash of criticisms it has been receiving from Nigerians since price of cement started shooting up. It is highly unethical for a corporate entity in the league of BUA Cement to railroad the entire country into a wild goose chase of obvious fakery.

Nigerians are being pummeled by socioeconomic upheavals. The least we deserve now is mind game from one of the leading manufacturers of cement with intention of deceiving the populace. If you had no intent to reduce cement price in the first place, why make such bogus promise?

I could remember watching Chairman of BUA Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, addressing the press after a meeting with then newly sworn in President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. He said as quoted below:

“We are going to bring down the price of cement. This is a promise. Our ex-factory price of cement currently is about N4,000 or N4,300 per bag. The target is to reduce that substantially. We will do that. And we are not doing this because we are worried or concerned that government will allow importation of cement because we know that import is not going to be any cheaper.”

Questions raging on the minds of Nigerians which are directed to Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu: Sir, what happened to this categorical promise made to Nigerians? Was it meant for propaganda or driven by optics to be seen as the “saint amongst the sinners”?

Was it for political purposes? Why have you not explained to Nigerians cogent reasons why BUA Cement has since tripled in price like other brands in the market, instead of going down? You think we don’t deserve such explanation?

Or, you think we have not seen through your game of deception? Are you that proverbial con dolmar that falls tree in the bush and comes of the road to asking who is cutting?

Like Jordan Peterson postulated, has BUA Cement come to the horrifying realization of how much it has constructed and conducted itself based on deception and lies, when it comes to its relationship with Nigerians?

Where is the N3,500 per bag cement? How long will Nigerians wait to have this promise come to pass? Has the chicken come home to roost? Has the facade of deception finally fallen of the eyes of unsuspecting Nigerians? Can Nigerians see the real villain of the piece?

Can BUA’s failure to fulfill this commitment to Nigerians be treated as economic sabotage? Imagine estate developers making projections or contractors rallying on public deception from one of the leading cement producers in the country to prepare their Bill of Quantity?

Can BUA Cement be sued by these estate developers and contractors for their loss? Is it not time for regulatory institutions in the country call to order BUA Group for such grand deception that has the capacity to disrupt the market negatively?

Many questions left for BUA Group to answer. And Nigerians are earnestly waiting, because fraud is wrongful or criminal deception intended to result to financial or personal gain.