.
BY Hon. Dr Onujabe Nasir.
[email protected] (08033489385).
Over three decades Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron Ore Mining Company still remained a mirage and caricature of itself due to humongous corruption and deceitful international politics around the completion . The massive infrastructural foundation and construction works were allowed to waste away by successive Nigerian governments for lack of political will and determination to enlist the country amongst technologically developed nations of the world. The companies which were claimed to have been 98% completed are still moribund gasping for air to breathe.
Steel industry in any country is a leeway to technological emancipation of that country through manufacturing for exportation and local consumption.
Several public hearings have been held on the way forward yet government is still in coma on what to do for lack of decisive and progressive decision taking for selfish purpose.
Local regional politics and tribal sentiments are factors too because it is not located in the presumed core location expected by the power that be hence the administrative improprieties by various successive governments.
Currently it is rumored that some powerful cabals within the government circle are trying to aquire the nation’s heritage to themselves via BPE in the name of concession. The implication of an individual owing such a gargantua steel industries are indeed very enormous and consequential with several security implications at future time.
Nigeria can not afford to surrender her technological destiny in the hands of few cabals whose interest are personal and detrimental to National growth and development.
On this note, on behalf of Ebira nation who play host to these two important giant industries i call on the incoming Tinubu’s Administration to kindly look into it on how best it could be resuscitated and sustained for the benefit of Nigeria and Nigerians.
THE NEED FOR INDIGENOUS HEADSHIP OF THE COMPANIES.
From records and studies, it was observed and discovered that in every locality where mineral resources of such category were found in that magnitude an indigene of that place is always appointed either as the MD/CEO or substantive Minister to oversee the affairs of organization for proper management to realize it’s potential for the purpose it was created.
Typical example is NDDC and OMPADEC and North East Development Commission (NEDC) whose leadership are always people from the regions and some other related institutions around the country.
Ebira nation can not be exception in this regard for equity, justice, fair representation and transparency purposes.
There are hosts of Ebira indigene trained in Russia during the take off of the steel industry in 1979 that has become an authority in metallurgy and steel making and capable of administering the company as expected.
Such trainees are found today in academia as erudite scholars with Ph.D decree from steel institutions around the globe . They are beginners of Ajaokuta Steel Company trained in Russia for expertise. If such indigene are engaged it will be a round peg in a round hole in reactivation of the ailing industries. They’re among the first set who worked with the Russian expatriate to lay the infrastructural foundation and construction works as they are aware of the nitty gritty of the industry.
STEEL INDUSTRY IN NATIONAL SECURITY
Steel industry of any nation is a foundation and bedrock of industrialization, economic reengineering, manufacturing of defense equipments and automobile discoveries Steel Company usually have over fifty composite allied companies that usually accompanied it which capable of absorbing hundred of thousands workforce from the labour market.
It is a place where so many security apparatus can be manufactured with a lot of inventions to be actualized. Such endowment of this nature can not just be ceded to some selfish cabals to toil with to the detriment of the nation and her citizen. Every developed nation that worth their onions today owned their steel industry and take total control of their technological advancement in support of other socio-economy sectors.
In view of the above the incoming Administration is please invited to note the danger of handing over the steel sector to Public Private Partnership in the interest of national security and some other unknown conspiracy theory.
THE NEED TO FREE THE COUNTRY FROM INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF OUR STEEL PRODUCTION.
Nigeria is a sovereign nation free to determine her developmental trajectory and technological well-being in all frontiers. Succumbing to international politics about our steel industry is a neocolonialism and lack of hindsight on the part of our leaders on the prosperous destiny of the nation.
The progress of any nation is proportional to the intellectual capacity of the leaders in moving the country forward. Linqua Yun of Indonesia, Hindra Gandi of India, Ghadafi of Libya etc are individual leaders with great thought for their countries.
Asiwaju in his wisdom and thirst for national development and rewriting of history to recover the lost glory of our dear country is highly required to break even in the detrimental international politics and our local cabals in the completion of the moribund steel industry. He can stop the proposed concession like late Umar musa Yar’dua did for the country to take full ownership and control of it for the attended prosperity and associated advantages earlier highlighted above. The steel company if completed and own by the country it can propel us tomorrow to super power nation in terms of invention and discoveries this is probably the future fear of the international community that occasioned their international conspiracy theory about the completion and taking off.
I wish the incoming President happy tenure and successful dividends of democracy to the citizens.
Long Live Nigeria!.