Dangote cement warns customers against fraudulent prices online

*Personnel manning a machine at a Dangote Cement manufacturing plant in Nigeria

*Rewards 79 retailers in Rivers

Mkpoikana Udoma

Port Harcourt — Dangote Cement has warned members of the public against patronizing scammers on the internet, who are in the business of advertising cement at unbelievable prices.

Regional Sales Director of Dangote Cement, South-South, Mr George Okoro, gave the warning in Port Harcourt, at an event to reward 79 Dangote Cement retailers in Rivers State.

Okoro advised members of the public to depend on its outlets to get the best buy, adding that the company on several occasions has made attempts to counter the online scammers.

“They should not depend on those who are internet scammers. We have identified those people as fraudsters and we have told customers that we have network of outlets everywhere, we have sales people everywhere and we have distributors everywhere. So, we don’t advise anybody to be dealing with a faceless person.

“Take the next five minutes walk anywhere, you will see a Dangote cement distributor. We have told them not to patronise anybody coming online. Something of N2,400 or N2,500, somebody now come online to say it is N1,400. You should be suspicious.”

Okoro who handed over items including from Refrigerators, Generatotors, Fans, Tricycles to 79 of its retailers in Port Harcourt, explained that the reward is a retailer loyalty scheme, which started running 12 weeks ago.

“It is to reward our committed retailers. Then we have tricycles, bedside fridges, big fridges television and industrial fan, among other prizes. We have category of prizes, including a car for the highest volume taker.

“We have them in different categories. You can choose any category you want to play. We have up to three months and at the end of the three months, you qualify to get a prize. So, today we are actually redeeming the prizes.

“Today alone, 79 persons benefited from this scheme, but we have not given out the car. We are trying to validate the highest pullers so that we can give out the car.

Okoro also disclosed that plans are underway to reward Distributors, as well as loyal consumers of the Dangote brand, adding that a total of 43 cars have been earmarked nationwide for consumers.

“This particular reward is for retailers; not distributors. We also have something for the consumers. For the consumers, we are giving out 43 cars. Here in South-South, we are giving out eight cars for this category.

“The consumer promo, which is different from this, requires that once you buy a bag of cement, there is scratch card inside. Once you scratch and win a prize, you get it instantly. The prizes include cash and tricycles.

“For the consumer promo alone, we are spending N6billion. Everything put together, we are spending in the region a total of N12 billion. People are already buying our cement; we want to empower them, support them and encourage them. It is also a way of enhancing our brand preference.”