By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Minister of Steel Development, Mr Shuaibu Audu, yesterday assured the nation that the technical audit on the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited will start in February.
The technical audit would pave the way for the rehabilitation, completion, and operation of the steel plant and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Kogi State.
The Minister gave the assurance when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Steel Development to defend his Ministry’s 2024 budget expenditure and the 2025 Appropriation.
The Federal Government signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the original builders of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, Messrs, Tyazhpromexport (TPE), and members of their consortium Messrs Novostal M and Proforce Manufacturing Limited to carry out the technical audit in September last year.
This is just as the joint panel queried the Ministry over the sum of N2bn allegedly meant for a boot camp to train youths in metal works but captured differently in the 2024 budget.
A member of the joint panel, who is the senator representing the Kogi Central Senatorial District, where the steel project is situated, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, asked the Minister to give a definite date for the commencement of the technical audit.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “Hon. Minister, Can I ask a question, please? When was the MOU entered into? Which month? Can you tell us the month that the MOU on Ajaokuta was entered? “
The Minister responded by telling the panel that the document was signed in September last year.
Akpoti-Uduaghan then wondered why the Ministry had not done anything four months after the MoU was duly signed.
She said, “We are now approaching the end of January. When will the technical audit start? When will it start? Because to me, let’s tackle that project wholesomely. Yeah. We need to start with a technical audit so that the build-up of repairs will commence immediately.
“Can you tell us when we would expect the Russians with their partners to commence the technical audit because time is going.”
In his response, the Minister said, “I had a conversation with the Permanent Secretary this morning Wednesday) on the commencement date.”
He then directed the Permanent Secretary, Dr Chris Osa-Isokpunwu, to address the panel on the commencement of the technical audit.
Osa-Isokpunwu said, “Immediately after the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, the Ministry commenced the procurement process for the technical and financial audit.
“Advertisements were made, time was given. We are now in preparation to present it to the Federal Executive Council for approval.
“Once that presentation is made and the Federal Executive Council approves that project, then the technical audit will start.”
Not satisfied with the Permanent Secretary’s submission, Akpoti-Uduaghan interjected and demanded a definite date of commencement.
She said, “The Federal Executive Council sits every week. Are you guaranteeing Nigerians that at the next Federal Executive Council, the technical audit proposal will be approved?”
The Permanent Secretary replied, “What I would say at this point is that as soon as we get the ‘no objection’ to proceed to the Federal Executive Council by the Bureau of Public Procurement, we will take the memo to the Federal Executive Council.
“That will be based on the availability of a slot for the presentation of memos at FEC. I do not run the Secretariat of FEC.
“However, once the Bureau of Public Procurement issues us the certificate of no objection, within 48 hours after, the Honourable Minister will transmit the memo to the Secretariat of FEC.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan asked him when the BPP would send the ‘no objection’ to the Ministry, and the Permanent Secretary said only the Director General of the BPE, Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, could answer the question.
Still not satisfied with the answer to her question, Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “How long have you been expecting no objection from BPP?”
“I need to know the timeline. How long has it been? Did you submit the proposal last week? Or last month? Or two months ago? We need to know. Maybe it’s BPP we are going to hold responsible for the delay of the process.”
Osa-Isokpunwu said, “I’m not familiar with the processes of the Bureau of Public Procurement. We submitted our request for ‘no objection’ about two months ago. So, Chairman, I don’t know if I can help you.”
The submission of the Permanent Secretary infuriated members of the joint committee and accused him of being lackadaisical with his approach to the whole issue.
The Minister quickly came to the rescue of the Permanent Secretary by accepting that the Ministry had been too slow on the matter.
Audu said, “Mr. Chairman and distinguished members, I think the feedback from the joint committee is loud and clear. The speed at which we are going through the process of getting a ‘no objection’ from BPP is too slow.
“I think that is the message that I’m hearing from the committee members. The feedback has been heard very loud and clear. I assure you that I’ll continue to put the permanent secretary under a lot of pressure so we can get out of the ‘no objection.’
“Perhaps the methods and the way we’ve been following up is inadequate. We are going to put more gas on the pedal to ensure that the ‘no objection’ comes out.
“This is because it’s very, very important to Nigerians for the technical audit to start, particularly with the original builders and their Nigerian representatives.
“We have a lot more work to do in that regard. The Perm Sec has heard, and directors of the ministries have heard very loud and clear that the joint committee on steel is unhappy with the pace at which we are processing the ‘no objection’ from BPP. So I want to appeal to your further patience.
“In the next few days, I can assure you that we’re going to ramp up efforts to get out the ‘no objection at least.’ Today is the 22nd of January. I believe before the end of the month we will get it.
“I’ll do everything humanly possible to ensure that it comes out so that we can get these things going. So I want to assure you that I’ll put the Ministry under pressure. I’ll continue to put the Permanent Secretary under pressure.
“Everybody can hear me. Nigerians can listen to me. The directors are all here. The person who liaises with BPP is here. The Permanent Secretary is here. All the most senior memberships are here.
“The pace at which we are getting, we are processing this BPP ‘no objection’ is too slow. We need to bring it out by the end of January at the latest, and we hope to get the FEC approval immediately.”
Meanwhile, the panel co-chairman queried the Ministry over the sum of N2bn allegedly meant for a boot camp to train youths in metal works but captured differently in the 2024 budget.
Abubakar was asked to explain why the project titled Youth Boot Camp Training in Advertisement calling for applications from eligible Nigerians was captured differently in the 2024 budget line as “technical support for SMEs for training around foundry production in three geopolitical zones.”
Gimba wondered why the Ministry advertised a training project that was captured as technical support for SMEs as a training boot camp for 700 youths.
In her comment, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Steel Development, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, said the action could land the Minister in the net of anti-graft agencies as it could be misconstrued as misappropriation.
