Nigeria reaffirms commitment on Ajaokuta Steel completion
Saturday, 24 Oct 2009
Ms Diezani Allison Madueke Nigerian minister of mines & steel development has reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government on the completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Company but confessed that some of the issues militating against the completion of the gigantic project were beyond her control.
Ms Allison Madueke, who met with the House Committee on Steel over the indebtedness of government to the steel workers, disclosed that already the Federal Government had commenced the payment of the 10 month salary arrears owed workers of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the National Iron Ore Mining Company. She said that "As at now, the committee set up by the ministry to handle the payment have verified and paid a total number of 3,166 staff of ASCL. The total amount paid was NGN 2,238,995,364."
According to her, a total number of 1, 344 employees of NIOMCO were paid a total of NGN 865,139,459.3. She said while a total of NGN 3, 104,134,815.99 had been expended on the two companies already, verification was still going on in respect of the few cases with problems of wrong account numbers, account names and such other documentary complications. The total arrears of ASCL retired staff since 2006 has been given as NGN 2.10 billion, while the outstanding liability of disengaged staff of Delta Steel Company is put at NGN 5.20 billion. Similarly, the pension outstanding of the staff of the three rolling mills in Jos, Katsina and Oshogbo is estimated to be NGN 1.26 billion.
Mr Aminu Shagari chairman of House Committee on Steel urged the Federal Government to put the steel sector on its priority list as the development of the steel sector was an imperative for the realization of the economic visions of Nigeria.
He added that "Ajaokuta is a reality. No nation in the world jokes with their steel industry. If we don't finish Ajaokuta and let liquid steel flow by 2011, then we can't make the list of the most developed economies even by the year 2050."
