The Senate, on Tuesday, frowned at the N4.2 billion allocated as personnel cost in the 2024 Appropriation Act, for unverifiable workers at Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited.

The apex legislative Assembly expressed this disappointment during an investigative hearing on alleged incidences of corruption and inefficiency in Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Ore Mining Company from 2002 to date, by an Ad-hoc Committee of the Senate.

The Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi Central), took up the Sole Administrator of the Steel Company, Summaila Abdul Akaba, on number of workers collecting salaries from the N4.2 billion appropriated for personnel cost in the 2024 budget.

She said being an indigene of the area, and desirous to get the Steel company revamped and working, makes unscheduled visitations to the company site and hardly finds up to ten people.

She lamented further that despite such humongous amount of money being spent as personnel cost by the Steel Company on yearly basis, no steel had been manufactured and no mill rolled.

“The Sole Administrator of Ajaokuta Steel Company, I have a good question for you being an indigene from the area, very worried about the state of the company and passionate for its revival.

“The Sum of N4.2billion was appropriated for personnel cost in 2024 but from several visitations I’ve made to the complex, hardly were 10 people sighted to be around or doing anything. So, who are the workers collecting monthly salaries from the appropriated N4.2billion.

“Statistically, if N300, 000 is paid monthly to 14, 000 people per month for a year, you get N4.2billion or N500, 000 to 8,400 workers per month in a year.

“Where are the 14, 000 or 8,400 workers in Ajaokuta, the appropriated N4.2billion is being spent on?” she asked.

However, in an embarrassment saving move , the minority whip of the Senate who is also a member of the committee, Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP Enugu West), prevented the sole administrator from responding to Natasha’s poser.

Senator Ngwu in his interjection said: “Please don’t let us indict ourselves because the said appropriation was approved by the National Assembly.”

In his closing remarks at the investigative hearing, the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC Ondo Central), said, presentations and submissions made by the various stakeholders would be thoroughly looked into, by the Committee for way out solution report on Ajaokuta Steel Company to the Senate.

Key stakeholders at the investigative hearing were, Permanent secretary of Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, a Director from the Central Bank of Nigeria, a Director from Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Nigerian Society of Engineers, Steel and Engineering Union Workers of Nigeria etc. (New Telegraph)