Ajaokuta Revival: Reps Adopt Findings Eight Months after Natasha's Presentation at NASS

Eight months after Barr. Natasha Akpoti's testaments at the National Assembly, the House of Representatives has adopted the findings of the the Ad Hoc committee mandated to investigate allegations on the conspiracies behind Ajaokuta steel company.



Part of the committee's findings and recommendations include,
a call to President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate required political will with the approval of $2 billion for the completion of two percent of the external rail system, access road and mining sites within the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

BusinessDay reported that, the House also urged President Buhari to use the multi-million dollars recovered from the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha for the completion of the company.

To address the level of impunity perpetuated by the manager of Ajaokuta Steel complex, rated as the second largest in Africa and 12th largest iron ore in the world, the House of Representatives called prosecution of Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GINL) and other companies indicted in the mismanagement of Ajaokuta Steel Company, over alleged economic sabotage, in line with the directive of late President Musa Yar’Adua in 2008.

Over $8 billion has so far been injected into the moribund steel plant since its inception by successive administration.

The lawmakers also urged government to terminate the recent re-concession agreement signed with GINL on the 1st August, 2016 as there is still an extant Federal Government indictment against the company.
The House alleged that “GINL and all indicted local collaborators should be made to pay damages to the host communities that suffered loss of lives when the Company used brutal force against the workers, who tried to stop the Company from stripping and vandalising the assets of the concessioned plants.”

The House added that GINL and its associates be banned from further doing any business in the country as its track record has been marred by duplicity and fraud.”

The House also urged Federal Government to jettison the idea of concessioning or re-concessioning the steel companies in the country, as there are capable hands in the country to manage the companies under the control of the government and are properly funded.

The findings and resolution were passed during the consideration of the recommendations of the Ad-hoc Committee that investigated the failure of Ajaokuta Steel Company to commence operations since its inception, which was adopted at the Committee of the Whole.

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