Reps Knock Fayemi‘s Position On Ajoakuta Steel Coy

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The House of Representatives has assured Nigerians that there will be no compromise in its resolve to ensure Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) is completed and made functional in the overall national interest.

This is as the lawmakers rejected claims and denials by the Minister of Mines and Steel, Mr Kayode Fayemi that no transactional adviser or person has been contracted for the ASCL’s concession.

“The House of Representatives stands by its position, which was repeatedly acknowledged publicly in the past by Mr Fayemi, (See Punch Newspaper Report of May 8, 2017) that Greenwich Trust Limited has been acting in the capacity of transaction adviser for Ajaokuta Steel Company”, they said.

A statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon Abdulrazak Namdas accused the Minister of abusing his office’, warning that “Nigerians will not be fooled, deceived or hoodwinked on this matter.”

The House maintained that henceforth any “information or suggestion from the Ministry or Mr Kayode Fayemi or any stakeholder” should be channeled to the House Ad hoc Committee on Ajaokuta Steel Complex, charged with responsibility of investigating the issues and not through press releases or press conferences.

BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT

Press Statement from House of Representatives on Ajoakuta Steel Company Limited

The House of Representatives’ attention has been drawn to a press statement issued by Mr Kayode Fayemi where he denied that the Ministry of Mines and Steel have contracted any transactional adviser for the concession of Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited or any one at all.

According to the statement, the process for the appointment of a transaction adviser is on, but cannot be completed until it gets the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), and as such, no one has been hired.

However, the House of Representatives stands by its position which was repeatedly acknowledged publicly in the past by Mr Fayemi (See Punch Newspaper Report of May 8, 2017) that Greenwich Trust Limited has been acting in the capacity of transaction adviser for Ajaokuta Steel Company.

As representatives of the Nigerian people, the House of Representatives has set up an Ad Hoc Committee to unravel the issues surrounding the renewed bid to ILLEGALLY CONCESSION AJAOKUTA STEEL through the back door, by Mr Fayemi.

If Mr Fayemi claims that no one has been hired as transaction adviser. Is he also repudiating his Press Conference of last week on the appointment on the of internationally discredited and compromised PriceWaterhouse Coopers to undertake an audit of Ajaokuta Steel without due process?. On whose authority is Greenwich Trust Limited acting on Ajaokuta including coming up with a report on the possible options open to government to reactivate the steel complex?

Nigerians will not be fooled, deceived or hoodwinked on this matter because how do you explain that a company which has not yet been appointed started work and even submitted a report based on which decisions relating to the future of Ajaokuta steel are being made?

Is this not a clear case of abuse of office? For avoidance of doubt, the House of Representatives will continue in its resolve to ensure that Ajaokuta Steel Company is completed in the national interest.  In any case, any information or suggestion from the Ministry or Mr Kayode Fayemi or any stakeholder should now be channeled to the House Ad hoc Committee on Ajaokuta Steel Complex, charged with responsibility of investigating the issues and not through Press Releases or Press Conferences.

Signed
Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas
Chairman
House Committee on Media & Publicity