A Human Rights Activist based in Kogi State Chief Haruna Ahmed Osike has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to release fund for the ministry of steel development to enable it commence work in some part of Ajaokuta Steel plant.
The Activist also cautioned the federal government and the National Assembly to be wary of fifth columnists who have sinister plans to distract the genuine intention of Mr President aimed at revitalizing the steel industry.
Chief Osike a one time governorship candidate in old Kwara state under the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria made the appeal on Friday in Okene while interacting with newsmen on the need for urgent commencement of work at the steel company.
According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since he came on board as the president of the Nigeria has shown a lot of commitment on how best the ailing Ajaokuta steel company can be revived and operationalized.
He stated that the President first step that gladden people heart was the creation of a separate ministry for steel development , noting that the federal government can also empowered the ministry to commence operation at the Light Section Mill (LSM) where iron rods are been produced before the steel plant went into comatose.
“The president has done well when he created a separate ministry for steel development and appointed an indigene of the Kogi State as minister in charge of the ministry and also retained the Sole Administrator of the company Engr. Sumaila Abdul-Akaba an indigene of Ajaokuta local government.
“All these effort were geared toward ensuring that the current administration succeed in it’s plan of revitalizing the Ajaokuta steel company often referred to as revenue spinning venture of the country” he stated.
Reacting to a recent motion moved by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central) on the floor of the Senate that Sole Administratorship of Ajaokuta Steel Company should be dissolved , the Rights Activist condemned the call, describing it as a tactics to rubbish all the effort and commitment put in place by the government.
“Nigerians knows where the problems of Ajaokuta steel company lay, it is not the management style adopted by the federal government. So calling for dissolution of Sole Administratorship clearly shown that there is a personal interest hidden somewhere and the federal government always think twice before heeding to advise especially from opposition parties” Chief Osike said.
He appealed to the President and the National Assembly to release fund to the ministry to commence work in the next three months, maintaining that Ajaokuta steel company has the capacity to generate huge revenue for the federal government aside millions of jobs that would be created for Nigerians.
“That is why we are appealing to President Tinubu day and night to commence work either in one section of the steel plant without further delay in the interest of Nigerian youth and the development of the country” he appealed.
