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Industsrialization: ‘Revive Ajaokuta Steel Now’, Mohammed Bougei Attah Tells FG

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Industsrialization: ‘Revive Ajaokuta Steel Now’, Mohammed Bougei Attah Tells FG 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SaharaWeeklyNg Reports That A passionate believer in the possibility of a greater Nigeria, Mohammed Bougei Attah, fondly called MBA is a social worker, procurement professional and anti-corruption crusader.

 

 

 

 

 

He is the Africa Regional Coordinator for the World Association of NGOs. In this interview with Wale Abydeen, MBA, who pilots NGO Network; a national civil society engagement advocates for new dawn in the industrialization sector. He harps on revitalization of Ajaokuta steel as a major panacea to unemployment and youth restfulness, noting that any politician or political party who fails to enunciate his or her vision on power, steel and revitalization of Ajaokuta Steel project may not catch his attention and that of his groups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As an activist what’s your view about industrialization policy of the government?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My views as expressed by the actions of the present administration are based on several initiatives and drive in that direction. Of course we have seen a lot of infrastructural development across Nigeria today. We are witness to the annual science and technology fair and most recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology was renamed to include innovation department. These are elements of industrialization and growth. Despite all these however, we are still far behind to meeting the goal. Our industries are broken, there’s no functional steel industry or a sustainable ore mining sites that can boost the country’s industrial growth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s the problem with steel company in Nigeria?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The problems are many, and about 90% of the problems are internal. Political Will is a huge challenge to Nigeria and Africa at large. Imagine Ajaokuta Steel Company that is 95% completed, with capacity to employ 60 thousand workforce, direct and indirect unattended to. The government of Muhammadu Buhari promised the revival of Ajaokuta as part of his campaign promises. While I will say the government has made efforts, what is on the ground is not enough. What happened to the Ajaokuta Presidential Project Implementation Team, APPIT? Where are the Russian experts expected to visit Nigeria on an evaluation exercise to kick start the process of recovery? Where is the AFREMIX Bank that is expected to provide the funding for this takeoff doing? So many questions unanswered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can FG revive Ajaokuta steel company?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I said earlier, the process is on with many lofty ideas. The inauguration of a Presidential Team to oversee the possible revival of the steel company is a step towards accelerating steel production in Nigeria. What is missing and on which we are advising the government is stop wastage on other non-performing projects like new refineries, concentrate and complete the existing ones like Ajaokuta Steel Company which is the Gateway to Nigeria industrialization. There are uncountable opportunities associated with ASCL if fully functional. Some of the areas include steel productions that can turnaround our future. We can produce power to about six states in Nigeria. Oxygen that is so much needed for Corona Virus patients can be produced in Ajaokuta. Rail rods, housing needs etc are parts of the benefits of a functional steel industry. We are mindful of these benefits and that is why we are embarking on a maiden Steel Conference in Nigeria.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your conference all about?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This upcoming Conference which is tagged National Conference on Ajaokuta Steel Project and President Muhammadu Buhari Industrialization Agenda is the first of its kind in the Ajaokuta phenomenon. It is specifically design to interrogate the issues and bottlenecks around the revival of the steel company. It is means to reawaken the consciousness of Nigerians to the realization that our hope for the future, in the midst of dwindling resources is Ajaokuta Steel Company. So we have engaged stakeholders from across Nigeria and beyond to connect and dialogue on the way forward. As a matter of fact, there’s no going back on the revival of Ajaokuta as Hon. Kazsure posited on the floor of the National Assembly few years ago. The two Chambers of the National Assembly have passed a resolution that the steel plant should be revived to full utilization. We are not only hopeful that the President Buhari led administration will fulfill his promise on the project, we are also determined to set up appropriate channels through which Nigeria and Nigerians will enjoy the fruit of its natural endowment.

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Christian police fellowship of Nigeria bestows award of excellence on PMF president, Bishop Anthony

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Bishop Chidi Anthony is the founder of Kings In Christ Power Ministries International and the president of Pentecostal Ministers Forum of Nigeria,PMF.

He is one of God’s generals that has impacted many as he propagates the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; uniting and fostering unity and togetherness among ministers of God through Pentecostal Ministers Forum of Nigeria which he happens to be the president, young ministers have benefited immensely from the organisation as PMF offers financial support to it’s members that are in need.

Christian Police fellowship of Nigeria decided to honour bishop Chidi Anthony for his marvelous and magnificent impact in the Christendom .CPFN bestowed an award on him yesterday at the police College,Ikeja.Bishop Anthony was there with his lovely wife,Rev.Nkiru Anthony to receive the award,his exhilaration was very conspicuous and he said “I’m really elated receiving this award today,I want to encourage people to keep doing good and impacting lives positively,you don’t know who is watching and taking note of you,I actually never envisaged receiving an award,I never knew that they were contious of my good works, I’m really enraptured,I want to show utmost gratitude to CPFN for the award and pray that God will continue to bless them ”

Finally,he advised churches in Nigeria, especially the popular ones with massive congratulations to help their members in this critical period of the nation because Christianity is about love and care ,he enunciated that you can’t preach Jesus to a hungry soul,you need to feed him first if you really want him to listen and accept Christ

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Uromi killing:stop going to other states with guns prophet Ikuru warns the Northern

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By Collins Nkwocha

 

The prophetic hall of fame and Ambassador of peace, prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry has castigated the Northern people, especially the Fulanis for always travelling and entering other states with arms.

 

The prophet of the nation who outrightly condemned the killing of Northern people in Uromi also enunciated that it’s wrong for the Northern people to invade other states with arms based on the tensed security threat the nation is facing at the moment “I want to condemn the killing in Uromi because nobody has the right to take another person’s life,they should have been handed over to the security operatives, the killing in cruel and barbaric,but it’s wrong for the Northern people to keep invading other states with arms, the rate of insecurity in the nation is high, anyone seen with a gun is dreadful and harmful,Fulani Herdsmen have perpetuated so much heinous and callous act for people to be apprehensive of their presence,my in Law was a victim of their heinous act,they assaulted her in her farmland,their presence with arms is really terrifying and it’s making farmers to desert their farmlands, prompting food scarcity ”

 

The prophet of the nation advised the government to take a proper look at the possession of arms by these men and reiterated that the North is big enough for thousands of hunters and herdsmen to explore “travelling to other states with arms is not good, the North has got the largest landmass in the country,why leave the North to other states with little Landmass , the North is very massive, it’s very obvious that their is hidden agenda,why will someone leave a river to look for fish in a swimming pool, the government need to look at these area critically,arms should be prohibited, anyone that is not a security operative shouldn’t be seen with arms ”

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Rivers Crisis: Pro-Democracy Group Demands Reversal of LGA Appointments, Urge Tinubu To Rein in Sole Administrator

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Budget Constraints, Infrastructure Woes Stall Diplomatic Deployment

 

Citizens for Democratic Watch (CDW), a pro-democracy group, has condemned the appointment of administrators for the 23 local government areas in Rivers State by the sole administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, describing it as “a dangerous abuse of power and a direct attack on the constitution”.

This latest action, which came just 24 hours after a federal high court restrained Ibas from making such appointments, has triggered widespread concern over what CDW calls “the rapid erosion of democratic institutions under the guise of emergency governance”.

In a statement on Wednesday, Dr Hassan Dantani, Executive Director of CDW, called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly to intervene before the situation spirals out of control.

“Appointing 23 sole administrators in clear defiance of a federal court order is not only unlawful — it is tyrannical,” Dantani said.

“No state of emergency gives anyone the license to override the judiciary, erase local governance, and act above the law. This must be condemned in the strongest terms.”

Dantani noted that the local government system is a constitutionally recognised tier of government, and any attempt to run it without democratic structures sets a very dangerous precedent.

“This action by Ibok-Ete Ibas is a grave violation of Section 7 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the system of democratically elected local government councils,” he said.

“Our democracy cannot function if unelected individuals are imposed to run local governments under military-style appointments.”

CDW warned that if allowed to stand, the appointments could embolden future political actors to trample on the rule of law and weaken the judiciary.

“The blatant disregard for a valid court order should alarm every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation,” Dantani said.

“When leaders ignore court rulings and impose their will, what remains of the rule of law? If we allow this to stand in Rivers, it could happen anywhere else.”

The group called on the National Assembly to urgently summon the Rivers sole administrator to explain his actions and ensure that all constitutional boundaries are respected.

“We urge the Senate and House of Representatives to treat this matter as a priority,” he added.

“Democracy must not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency or political convenience.”

Dantani concluded by demanding the immediate reversal of the LGA appointments and a return to constitutional order.

“The people of Rivers State deserve legitimate, elected representation — not handpicked appointees. We must not normalise authoritarian shortcuts in a democratic society,” the group warned.

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