Opinion: Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ajaokuta Steel Company, Itakpe National Iron Ore and Lady Natasha Akpoti

by A.S.M. Jimoh

One of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cardinal objectives is to diversify the economy from oil-dependent to agriculture and solid minerals. There is abundant proof that Nigeria has a comparative advantage in these natural resources. For this reason, the president handed over these two important sectors to people whom he thinks are capable of reviving them to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food supply, reducing the unemployment rate and making breakthrough in full utilisation of our potential in solid minerals. These two sectors, if properly harnessed, would help the nation’s economy and revenue base.

The solid mineral sector was handed to Dr Kayode Fayemi, the former Governor of Ekiti state, now the minister of solid minerals, to manage. One important industry in the solid mineral sector which many think (we rightly think so) can be the impetus for our industrial revolution is the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, simply known as ASCO, and the ore mining site at Itakpe, known as National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO), both situated in Kogi central senatorial district of Kogi state. Shamefully, these two companies have been abandoned to rot for long. A negligence that caused part of the current economics woe we face. For if Nigeria as a state had not depended on oil alone, but diversified to other areas of strength such as agriculture and solid minerals, the fall in oil price would not have affected our nation so badly.

The story that surrounds the negligence of ASCO and NIOMCO has been told several times, and in different versions. One recurring line in most narrations is that there is international politics by powerful countries to ensure that ASCO particularly does not see the light of the day. Whether this is true or not, the collaborations of local players have not been proportionally stressed.

While the present administration of President Buhari seems to have resolved to bring back Ajaokuta to life, the process of revival is yet again dogged by accusation and counter-accusation.

At the centre of this allegation is a woman, Barrister Natasha Akpoti, who is simply addressed as Natasha. Although of Ukrainian maternal lineage, Natasha hails from Kogi central senatorial district where Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCO) and National Iron Ore and Mining Company (NIOMCO) Itakpe, are situated. As such, her interest in the revival of the two projects can never be said to be misplaced.

Since the President Buhari gave Dr. Kayode Fayemi the instruction to do the needful to see the revitalization of ASCO and NIOMCO, Lady Natasha has picked holes in almost every move by the Minister.

Dr Fayemi announced gracefully in August of 2016 that NIOMCO has been given back to Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GINL) to manage for seven years. The company was first offered ASCO and NIOMCO in 2004 by the Obasanjo’s regime in a process that was obscured with opacity. For the almost four years that GINL (mis)managed the two national assets before Yaradua’s regime cancelled the agreement in 2008, the company was accused of cannibalising the humongous investment at the two sites.

The youth of Ogaminana community, the immediate community hosting NIOMCO, protested the asset stripping by GINL in early 2008. However, what they got in response was the mindless killing of several members of the community and destruction of properties worth millions by the Nigerian police at the invitation of GINL. Therefore, giving back NIOMCO to GINL, a company that is seen as being part of the reason why ASCO and NIOMCO never worked in recent year, raises eyebrows.

Natasha seems to know some underhand dealings that returned NIOMCO to GINL that Dr Fayemi does not want the President and other Nigerians to know. She has questioned the rationale behind Fayemi’s decision to hand over the company to GINL. She further accused the Minister of subterranean move to hand over ASCO back to the same company. She has screamed aloud that the re-concession will only take NIOMCO and ASCO back to the original evil forces that held it down. She has probed Fayemi’s sincerity.

However, Dr Fayemi has explained that allowing GINL to continue with the company is the best deal for Nigeria and the best that ever happened to our steel sector. He pointed that by handing back the company to GINL, the federal government avoided paying a fine of five hundred to seven million US dollar dollars ($500-700 million).

But Natasha feels otherwise. She asks while Fayemi and his team have refused to review the “Kangaroo committee recommendation” who indicted Nigeria for GINL. She has asked why the original builder of the complexes, TyazhpPromExport (TPE), Russia, is not being invited for technical evaluation and bidding. There is the notion that the original builder of the steel complex knows better than anybody else is. It is believed that Ajaokuta had reached more than 75% completion before it was abandoned and subsequently mismanaged.

One pertinent question Natasha and some other patriotic individuals who have joined her call are asking is why is Minister Fayemi not interested in calling back the original builder of ASCO, TPE Russia. Why is it so difficult to make the bid open in which everyone who claims to have expertise in steel production to come make a bid? Is there anything Fayemi knows that we do not know? Or, is Natasha so bold in emptiness? These questions needed to be answered.

However, Fayemi hit back at her in one of his interviews saying that Natasha was “passing ignorance as knowledge”. He hinted he had spoken with the Russian ambassador who seems to indicate that his country is no longer interested in the projects. He accusingly described Natasha as “an individual having an agenda” apparently referring to her maternal lineage. Fayemi claims that when the time comes, bid will be opened to all that has the financial resources, technical capability and the image to bid.

Natasha in her response provided documents she claims are proof of correspondence between Russia President Vladimir Putin and Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo in past years where the former had shown interest in the resuscitation of ASCO through TPE. However, subsequent events showed that Obasanjo lacked sincerity, which was why he did not address the issue in a purported reply to Putin. Rather his administration handed over ASCO and NIOMCO to SOLGAS Energy Limited, a company in which Obasanjo’s son had interest. SOLGAS was handed the companies in 2003 before GINL took over in 2004.

She appears so confidence she has at her disposal enough information of Fayemi’s (in)action that is at variance with his public pronouncements. She is even widening her list of those she says are hell-bent on killing the companies. Outrageously, Yahaya Bello, the current Kogi state governor, make the list of the saboteurs.

In her most recent indictment, she claimed one unnamed Alhaji now owns GINL. She says the company is also at the forefront of acquiring Ajaokuta. That is to say, GINL is no longer in the possession of Promodal Mittal, the Indian who is/was known to own the company. She asserts that the presence of Mittal at the re-concession signing was a smokescreen at hoodwinking Vice President Yemi Osinbajo who represented President Buhari and Nigerians. She said the unnamed Alhaji was one of those who helped Gov. Yahaya to Lugard house, the Kogi state government office. So it is a kind of payback for the Alhaji if Yahaya Bello helps him to acquire ASCO.

This is shocking if there is any iota of truth in this accusation. If there is any project that should be dear to Yahaya Bello’s mind, it should be ASCO and NIOMCO. Both projects when operational would bring accelerated economic and infrastructural development to Kogi state in general and Kogi central in particular, from where he hails. Well, Natasha may have to prove more that Yahaya Bello does not have a genuine intention for ASCO and NIOMCO revival. On his part, he should show the people of Kogi through his action, not pronouncement, that he is committed to the NIOMCO and ASCO projects.

In all these mounting allegations and counter allegations, President Buhari or Vice President Osinbajo seems not to be aware or they just chose to ignore since no one has formally complained. The President is not known to be someone who gives out the proverbial goat but holds on to the tether. Buhari seems to believe that whomever he gives a job will do it well and sincerely. An attitude many have seen as his Achilles’ heel. Many of his trusted allies and close aides have exploited this attitude of easily trusting anyone to further their narrow interests. Although, Fayemi cannot be said to be insincere, yet it is time for him to come out, address all sundry questions raised by Natasha and her co-travelers “having an agenda” while shaming all of us doubting Thomases.

It is also time for patriotic men and women of Kogi central senatorial district led by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland to directly access President Buhari and present to him all the issues surrounding the Ajaokuta steel and Itakpe ore.


Op–ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija

The author tweets @anehi2008)

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