|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The leadership of House of Representatives has expressed displeasure over the resolve of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet members to boycott the sectoral debate on Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, located in Lokoja, Kogi State.
The House via a letter dated 16th February, 2018 had invited Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Solid Mineral and Bawa Bwari to the sectoral debate slated for Thursday, 1st March, 2018, between 11 am and 3 p.m with special focus on the steel sector, particularly on how to revive the moribund Ajaokuta steel company.
However, the Ministers through a letter signed by Abdulkadir Muazu, Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, dated 27th February, 2018, with reference No: MMSD/S/BUDG2017, explained that the Ministers had prior official engagements.
Speaker Yakubu Dogara had in a letter cited by BusinessDay, observed that the sectoral debate would have provided opportunity for officials of Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals to debunk the widespread allegations that the proposed concessionaires have tied their hands.
“In your letter under reference, you said the two ministers in the Ministry would not honour the invitation due to prior commitments.
“According to the letter, ‘The Honourable Minister has prior diplomatic schedule engagement in preparation to the focal….
“I am further directed to respectfully state that the House considers the attendance of one of the Ministers in the Ministry of crucial importance to its legislative intervention in the Steel sector to ensure timely completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, and consequently requests you to reconsider the apparent boycott of the House’s sectoral debate.
“We think that the debate presents an opportunity for the Ministry to debunk the widespread allegations that the proposed concessionaires have tied the hands of the Ministry.
“We are worried that the apparent boycott of the session by your Ministry can only lend credence to the allegations that the top echelon of your ministry are deeply conflicted in the matter.
“In view of the cordial relationship that has always existed between the two Honourable Minister and the Speaker and the institution of the House of Representatives, we urge you to take all reasonable measures to reinforce this relationship moreso that the session is widely advertised and will go on with or without your participation,” the Speaker’s letter read in part.
Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel in the letter said: “The Honourable Minister Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his counterpart, the Honourable Minister of State, Honourable Abubakar Bawa Bwari are slated for official engagements during the scheduled period of the debate.
“The Honourable Minister has prior diplomatic schedule engagement in preparation to the focal labs of ERGP relating to the Mining Sectors while the Minister of State will be leading the Ministry’s delegation to Canada to attend the PDAC Conference.”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
