Follow Us on Google
From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Some concerned members of Kogi Communities under the aegies of Kogi Heritage Protection Advocacy has kicked against the hurried plan of the Federal government to concession the multi billion Naira Ajaokuta steel company and the Itakpe Iron Ore saying the host communities were not consulted neither was due process followed.
Addressing newsmen in Okene on Monday, the spoke man of the group who is a media guru, Mr Edward Jatto said the communities were shocked to the advert of the concessioning which gave only 20 days threshold for local and international response even without recourse first to the National Assembly stressing that the exercise can not reflect genuine and transparent participation.
The statement reads in parts:
” You all here and indeed Nigerians woke up to be shocked on 21st April, 2023, that the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development put up an international and local advertisement on the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron Ore Company. The advert gave only 20 days threshold for local and international interested companies to respond with detailed offers (not just expression of interest).
” We hereby fault the Federal Government concession plan of Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron Ore Company without recourse to the National Assembly and the host communities, which will not reflect genuine and transparent participation of all interest groups for equity, fairness and justice to Nigerians.
“It is very unrealistic for the 20 days threshold given for response to the adverts and grossly inadequate for any serious pre-bidding preparations is clearly at variance and in breach of infrastructure concession regulatory commission (ICRC) that specifies six weeks for tender advert and responses. In other words, the 20 days response cannot realistically bid for the steel plant nor will their bids reflect in any meaningful way, the realities of a gigantic steel complex like the Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron”
On the Itakpe Iron Ore Company, the group said
the move by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development calls for national concern, “and we are worried because of its potential adverse effect on the economy of the nation and the wellbeing of the host communities as it will subject the people to an untold hardship”
Continuing “We are particularly worried because the concessioning process of national assets such as National Iron Ore Company Limited, Itakpe and Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited has not been subjected to thorough legislative processes and contributions from major stakeholders such as the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Manufacturers of Association of Nigeria (MAN) and even the host communities, among others..
“We are also worried and suspicious of underhand dealings that the present federal government, under President Muhammadu Buhari is rushing the concessioning process when it is about to handover leadership to a newly democratically elected government of President-Elect, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a few weeks time.
“We hereby call on the leadership of the National Assembly, concerned Civil Society Organizations, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to ensure immediate reversal of the process in the interest of the present and future generations yet unborn.
“On this note, we commend a Division of the High Court of Justice of Kogi State sitting in Lokoja, the state capital, which has restrained the Federal Government from its planned concession of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) at Itakpe.
“We hereby call on the Federal Government and its agencies, particularly, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development involved in the underhand deal that the process of concessioning Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Mining Itakpe both in Kogi State, is halted and reversed in national interest.
“We say capital NO to the concessioning of Ajaokuta Steel Company and Itakpe Iron Ore Company” the group added.
