Yahaya Bello: FG not planning to sell Ajaokuta Steel Complex

October 18, 2018 8:06 pm

Ajaokuta Steel Company to function fully before end of Buhari's tenure, says minister

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, says the federal government is not planning to sell the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

Bello said this on Thursday after meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa.

Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), had said there is a plan to sell complex in a bid to raise money to fund the 2018 budget.

“I am aware of the situation of Ajaokuta Steel Company of Nigeria. It is also on the cart, first for a total review of the process of privatisation and payment, so that our aluminum sector can eventually come alive,” Emefiele had told the Nigerian delegation at the end of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Group meetings in Bali, Indonesia.

But speaking with journalists after the meeting, the Kogi governor said the vice-president told him that the government is working to put the complex to use for the benefit of the country.

“First of all, the vice-president, being the chairman of the National Economic Council, we came to make some enquiries from him over the purported sale of Ajaokuta steel complex and he has indicated that there is nothing like that,” Bello said.

“He said there is no plan by the federal government to sell Ajaokuta steel company. The VP said Ajaokuta is an asset of the federal government and that they are looking into how best to make good use of that particular complex for the benefit of Nigerians at large.”

When asked for his party’s preparedness ahead of the 2019 polls, the governor said: “The party is really very strong.”

“Every primary can be anchor out and everybody can hustle for one ticket or the other. I can assure you that we have a capable leadership of the party – President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Also, we have our able chairman, Comrade Adams Aliyu Oshiomole who is doing his best to ensure that the party is strong and the party is really very strong.”

He said he also notified Osinbajo of the coronation of the new Oba of Kabba which will hold on Saturday.