THE Nigeria Union of Mines Workers has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for taken a bold step toward revitalization of the ailing Ajaokuta steel company through the propose signing of an agreement with Russia , the original builders of the steel plant.
Chairman of the union , Ajaokuta Steel branch, Comrade Mohammed Abdulsalam Jimoh who gave the commendation in Lokoja Tuesday while addressing newsmen on independent day , said the Federal Government for the first time in many years is about to take a right step toward a right direction to bring back the original builders of the steel plant in order to revitalise and make it operational.
“Alas, many concessions has taken place in the past without result, even one of the concession between the federal government and Solgas Energy Limited resulted to litigation that took over ten years before it was resolved .
“The concession failed in its totality because the companies were not the original builders and they don’t have any idea of the steel plant.
“Now that President Muhammadu Buhari led administration has taken a bold step to bring the original builders of the plant back to complete the plant, I am optimistic and confident that in no distance time what we have been dreaming and cleaving for , will come back to life” the union leader said.
While appealing to President Buhari not to renege on his laudable plan for Ajaokuta steel company, Comrade Jimoh describe the effort of the present administration as a welcome development that will put the country on a threshold of industrialization.
“I am calling on the management and staff of the steel company to support the president with prayers to enable him actualise his plan of going to Russia to sign an agreement for the completion of the integrated plant that will create enormous jobs and generate huge revenue for the government” he added.
Speaking further the union leader , said that Ajaokuta steel workers deserve national honour for maintaining and keeping the giant plant against vandalization, saying the technical audit conducted in 2010 and 2018 clearly indicated that all the equipment are intact.
According to him “It is unacceptable for any body to claim that the steel workers are redundant. If not for the workers the plant could not have passed the several technical audit conducted to ascertain the standard of the plant”
