Leon Usigbe
4 December 2008
Lagos — ANGERED by alleged lethargy and lack of activity in the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, the supervising Minister, Mr. Demola Seriki has hinted that he could make a recommendation to President Umaru Yar'Adua to merge it with any other ministry.
He said since he was given the responsibility to oversee the ministry over a month ago, he was yet to see anything that it officials were engaged in and in fact, they were hoarding information from him against his expectation of an open and frank interaction between him and the officials.
Speaking in Abuja while receiving a presentation by the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum on "Steel in the activities of the Oil and Gas Industry" yesterday, he fumed, "don't think that Mr. President by virtue of the powers vested in him cannot invoke his authority to eliminate this ministry.
"It is not in the constitution that this ministry must exist, no. By the time I am leaving here and I say this ministry is not necessary; he can as well put it under other ministry.
"I have already said it that if care is not taken, there will be casualties in terms of losing jobs or redeployment because I don't know for how long I am going to be here but in my role as the supervising minister, I want to be seen to have left with a degree of positive achievement.
"If I cannot achieve anything and if there is trust on the part of Mr. President reposed in me, I am obliged to ensure that I do the right thing and not to disappoint or embarrass him.
"So, if I cannot achieve in a particular department, I will have to review that department. I am over a month here and I have seen that there is a degree of passivity in the way and manner people work and I am using this medium to challenge everybody to please wake up from our sleep to ensure that the ministry works.
"If you remember when I got here, I said on this same table that I am accessible. Hardly any director will call me and tell me about development in this place. People work together in the ministry that I am coming from. We don't see that mood here. "We need to work together, call each other, and talk to each other more often."
Here people are far and drifting more and more. People don't bring any information and without information you cannot make progress in any organisation. Information is knowledge, information is wealth. Without it there is no knowledge, without knowledge there is no future.
"We (the ministry) are complaining about National Resource or Fund (NRF). Yes, it is part of this passivity that caused this ministry not to have been given that NRF. There is no urge and drive. We need to have it. Without action taking place, nothing can happen in any sector. I can tell you that I met this ministry static but I will love to leave it active by God's grace," he said.
The Minister also gave reasons why production could not resume in Ajaokuta Steel Mill against the call by its workers for government to order the utilization of its completed units saying, government wanted to be sure that the necessary things were done to prevent the pilfering of the past.
According to him, "in as much as went want them to go back to production, certain critical things must first be worked out without which we cannot do anything there because there has been a high degree of pilfering as you are aware.
"Quite a number of things have been stolen. Even where it is not stolen, it will be reported stolen. So, we can't afford to just say they should go back. It will make the place more vulnerable and this can cause more harm. We are being careful.
"The decision may be very unpopular but it may be the best in the interest of the economy, of government and of the administration."
That is the price you pay for leadership. You are given a task to make a good judgment on behalf of the people but it may not be pleasing to the people except that on the long run they may appreciate it. We have rather been prepared than to go unprepared," he declared.
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