By Joyce Babayeju
As President Bola Tinubu contemplates reshuffling his cabinet, a prominent social critic and Executive Director, Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre (NGGRC), Comrade Igbotako Nowinta, has called on him to drop the Minister for Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, because of his alleged incompetence and high handedness.
Comrade Nowinta, who doubles as an international conflict resolution expert, made this call via a press release he titled: “Audu: A Danger In The Ministry for Steel Development”, which he gave to journalists in Abuja on Monday October 7th, 2024.
The Group said Audu is a “clear minus to the President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda and a danger in the Ministry for Steel Development, as a result of his alleged abuse of office, glaring incompetence, high-handedness and wastage of public funds.”
The statement reads in part: “The attention of NGGRC was drawn to certain alleged negative activities going on within the Ministry for Steel Development, under the watch of Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, which prompted an investigation from our end.
“Our investigation revealed the fact that Audu should not stay a day longer as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We discovered that Prince Audu is an enemy of laid down statutory bureaucratic processes and an extreme version of a triangle in a round peg.
“This man has become a danger to the efforts of President Tinubu to revamp the Steel sector in Nigeria. For instance, the manner he is handling the Revitalisation, Privatisation and Completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company negates transparency, breach of BPP Act, and may put the country in another judicial quagmire, like the Global Steel Holding Ltd’s case where Nigerian was taken to court at the international level, thereby making the country to pay compensation in hard currency.
“Talking about impending litigation that will surely embarrass and ridicule our country again, Global Steel Holdings Limited, an Indian company, had won the concession of the Ajaokuta Steel Mill for 10 years, but the agreement was revoked when the Federal Government accused the firm of asset stripping, a development that led to a court case between the two parties; Global Steel which eventually was settled $496 million by Federal Government.
“What of his breach of Public Procurement Act in the choice of Proforce Manufacturing Ltd to recently sign an MoU in Russia; Why did he hastly choose the Russian outfit for the pre- auditing of Ajaokuta Steel Company as the job was recently advertised and told the National Assembly that Russians were in Ajaokuta on their own?
“We hereby call for the investigation of the choice of Proforce Manufacturing Ltd as the Minister’s preference to sign the MoU, to avoid any pitfall or litigation process on Ajaokuta Steel Company like it happened in the past.
“Indeed, Audu rushed to sign the MoU without the perusal and consent of the Ministry of Justice and without consulting experts from Ministry of Finance to discuss the financial aspect.
“It’s on record that he forced the pill down the Russians who stated categorically that it’s better for them to build a new steel plant close to a port than revamp Ajaokuta Steel company.
“His trip to Russia was baseless even as the Permanent Secretary, Mr Chris Osa Isokpunwun was not a signatory nor, sighted the said MoU before signing.
“Nigeria Good Governance Research Centre is ready soonest to submit petitions to the EFCC and relevant committees of the National Assembly with shocking proofs as to Minister Audu’s glaring disregard for the legislature, incompetence and as well lead a protest in Lokoja and Abuja.
“With billions of dollars being pumped daily into the Ministry of Steel, it is not sensible for it to be left in the hands of a man whose character is incubated in administrative vendetta, self interest and irresponsibility.
“For the Steel Ministry to move forward it needs a goal-getter who will provide the culture of accountability, transparency, honesty, firm objective, sincerity of purpose and concrete paradigm for constructive engagements with stakeholders.
“This Minister is a clear minus to the so called President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda and a danger in the Ministry for Steel Development.
“Audu disobeyed the Presidential Order on Board dissolution on the National Steel Council (NSC), until the National Assembly intervened.
“Records available also show that the fact finding committee constituted by the Minister allegedly requested for ₦10million from the desolved Council.
“The experience needed for a newly created technical ministry, such as the Steel, requires a knowledgeable and experienced person to man and not a minister with no technical skills nor public service experience.
“A deeper insight into his administrative lapses in the Ministry of Steel is mind boggling, as he has not been able to improve on the existing structures in the defunct Ministry of Mines and Steel not to talk of bringing new ideas.
“Therefore, as Mr. President considers a cabinet reshuffle this is the time to drop a man with a voracious appetite for impunity: Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu as Minister for Steel Development.”
