Comrade Ajagun Opeyemi Samuel has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress (APC) to channel the recovered loots from late former Military Head of State, General Sani Abacha into resuscitating Ajaokuta steel company.
Ajagun made this in statement issued in Lokoja on Thursday.
President Buhari has set up Ajaokuta Presidential Project and Implementation Team (APPIT), a committee chaired by both Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha and Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Uchechukwu Ogah.
Ajagun said that the economic values of the Ajaokuta steel company, the largest in Africa, if revived is enormous.
According to him, the steel production plant can boost Nigeria economy especially at a time the country is experiencing sharp drop in oil revenue.
“Let us be sincere with ourselves for once, this is the best time for President Muhammadu Buhari and his government to do something tangible that will bring back to life the dead Ajaokuta steel. Today, the company can best be described as a liability to the Nigeria because there are still many people collecting salaries in the names of Ajaokuta workers whereas the steel company is not operating. If we go there now, we will see so many engineers moving up and down in the company doing nothing, these people are been paid millions of naira in the name of being workers. This is the same Ajaokuta that is not producing ordinary eating plate. As a matter of fact, federal government is wasting resources servicing some dead things in the company but they cannot pay the sacrifice in reviving the company for the benefit of the nation,” he said.
Ajagun said that in spite of the fact that Nigeria has an iron producing company in Ogun state, Nigeria is still dependent on importation of steel that the nation have in abundance.
“We need steel to produce vehicles, we already have cars assemblage company in Kaduna, it means that Nigeria can manufacture cars on its own through Ajaokuta steel. We can diversify our economy through this innovative ideas”
Ajagun called on Kogi state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to do everything within his power into instigating the relevant authorities to revitalize the gigantic steel company in his state.
While appreciating all the stakeholders who have been agitating strongly for the revival of the steel company, especially Mrs Natasha Apoti, all the three Kogi Senators and House of Representatives, he pleaded that all hands must be on deck to make sure that Ajaokuta becomes functional again.
