Chief Ahmed Haruna Osike is a Human Rights Activist based in Kogi State and the national liaising officer , Licence Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN) in this interview with Our Correspondent, the community leader frown at the possibility of covid-19 pandermic delaying the plans of resuscitating the ailing Ajaokuta Steel industry.
EXCERPTS :
The revitalization of Ajaokuta Steel Company seems to be delaying what is your comment?
The federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu recently took a bold steps aimed at resuscitating the ailing steel industry abandoned for over fourty years by successive administration.
President Buhari’s political will and his effort to see that the giant steel company in Africa come back to life was greeted with loud ovation by Nigerians, but regrettably since March 2020 the agility and the enthusiasm on the side of the federal government became very low and practically at the lowest ebb.
It is apparently cleared that there was covid-19 pandemic across the globe, but China where the pandemic originated from , and other countries badly affected by the disease continue to improve in their economy. More industries continue to grow in China during this covid-19 period.
Sadly, the federal government seems to have allowed the out break of covid-19 since March, 2020 to dissuade the plans for the resuscitation of the steel industry which of course is not healthy for the nation.
We are worried because President Muhammadu Buhari who have developed interest to inject life once again into the steel industry, his tenure is fast running and there is need for the project to be completed and operationalize before the end of the current administration.
Many foreigners are still working in Nigeria and covid-19 did not killed them and we believe that if the Russian engineers come to Nigeria today nothing will happen to them too. So it is dangerous to abandon the project because of the recent pandemic that has comes to stay with us.
Other killer diseases such as HIV AIDS, Ebola , Lassa fever and many more also came in the recent past and the federal government did not surrender our sources of economy to the diseases and as such we should not succumb or surrender totally for covid-19 pandemic by abandoning what we should do to better the future of this nation.
And going by government’s earlier commitment to the early completion of the steel project, Nigerians expected that by now the Russians experts should have arrived at the steel plant to commence work on the reactivation of the industry, but till now the plan seems to be stagnated which is not good at all.
What are the likely benefits of Ajaokuta Steel company to Nigeria and Nigerians?
First and foremost , it is an open secret that no nation can grow or attain the desired development both technologically and economically without iron and steel, and God in his infinite mercy gave us this ingredient of development and we seems to be toying with it.
Secondly, the oil , I mean the crude oil that was the mainstay of our country’s economy is no longer viable as the price of crude oil had crashed in the world market. So looking inward for alternative sources of income becomes very necessary and germane in the interest of the country.
It is a known fact that if Ajaokuta steel complex is completed and operationalize , it will serve as a great foreign exchange earner to the country and the employment opportunities alone will enable the federal government to engage the teeming unemployed youth and this will invariable reduce youth restiveness and also wipe away crimes associated with idleness as a result of unemployment.
If the company is operating at full capacity it can create over 15,000 jobs aside the subsidiary companies that will evolve and also created thousands of jobs for our people. So abandoning the steel industry will certainly be a big risk to this nation because of its enormity to the country.
What advise do you have for the federal government on the issue of Ajaokuta Steel Industry?
Honestly, Ajaokuta steel complex still remain the hope of Nigerians in job creation and revenue generation . The possibility of giving Nigerian youth jobs and bright future can not be achieved without due consideration for the completion of the ailing industry and that was why we are appealing to President Buhari not to jettison his earlier plans and commitment toward the resuscitation of the integrated steel plant.
Obviously, If the steel industry is being completed and operational , the credit will go to President Buhari’s administration and it will be an unforgettable legacy and as such he should not allow or use covid-19 as an excuse to forget his plans of revamping of the company.
Ajaokuta Steel company is the property of Nigeria and the issue of revitalization lay in the hand of President Muhammadu Buhari and as such Nigerians should continue to appeal to the president to do the needful . The steel company does not belong to Kogi people alone it is the property of all Nigerians and the benefit will be enjoy by all if the project is completed.