This Day (Lagos)
Onwuka Nzeshi
23 October 2009
Abuja — Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mrs Diezani Allison-Madueke yesterday reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government on the completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Company but confessed that some of the issues militating against the completion of the gigantic project were beyond her control.
Allison-Madueke who met with the House Committee on Steel over the indebtedness of government to the steel workers, disclosed that already the Federal Government had commenced the payment of the 10-month salary arrears owed workers of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) and the National Iron Ore Mining Company ( NIOMCO).
"As at now, the committee set up by the ministry to handle the payment have verified and paid a total number of 3,166 staff of ASCL. The total amount paid was two billion, two hundred and thirty-eight million, nine hundred and ninety-five thousand, three hundred and sixty-four naira," she said.
According to her, a total number of 1, 344 employees of NIOMCO were paid a total of eight hundred and sixty-five million, one hundred and thirty-nine thousand, four hundred and fifty-nine naira, and three kobo.
She said while a total of N3, 104,134,815. 99k had been expended on the two companies already; verification was still going on in respect of the few cases with problems of wrong account numbers, account names and such other documentary complications.
The total arrears of ASCL retired staff since 2006 has been given as N2.10 billion, while the outstanding liability of disengaged staff of Delta Steel Company is put at N5.20 billion. Similarly, the pension outstanding of the staff of the three rolling mills in Jos, Katsina and Oshogbo is estimated to be N1.26 billion Chairman, House Committee on Steel, Honourable Aminu Shagari urged the Federal Government to put the steel sector on its priority list as the development of the steel sector was an imperative for the realisation of the economic visions of Nigeria.
"Ajaokuta is a reality. No nation in the world jokes with their steel industry. If we don't finish Ajaokuta and let liquid steel flow by 2011, then we can't make the list of the most developed economies even by the year 2050," Shagari said.
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