The National Association of Nigerian Students has called for the probe of mismanagement of Ajaokuta Steel Company and National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe, Kogi State.
This is even as the umbrella body of Nigerian students has alleged that some officials of the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari siphoned $496million through the steel company.
NANS President, Lucky Emonefe made the allegations in a statement on Sunday.
While commending the Bola Tinubu administration for its efforts at resuscitating the two companies, the NANS President, however, said this should not serve as a yardstick for investigating the steel plant.
According to Emonefe, every person involved in the alleged mismanagement of Ajaokuta Steel Company must be brought to book, stressing that “It will serve as a deterrent to others who are aspiring to steal from the company as soon as it starts operation again. Bringing them to book will help the company grow in the sense that the money recovered from these offenders would be pumped back into the company and it will give it a higher lift in every sense;
“While the revamping of this company is going on, the probing of these culprits should aggressively continue. Both can go concurrently and one will not affect another. As a matter of fact, the probing is an essential part of the revamping because investigators and other stakeholders may discover in the course of probing that some bad eggs are still on the management and staff of this Steel Company. With these probes, many unravellings will take place, giving way to a holistic revitalization and resuscitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company”.
On decentralisation of power in the steel compqny, he kicked against the use of a sole administrator in the firm for the last 12 years.
This, he pointed out, gives room for corruption, as it erodes the principles of checks and balances.
“This gives room to corruption in the sense that there will be no one else to check the excesses of the Sole Administrator and this may give him/her an ample chance to misuse the trust and powers given to him/her.
“Hence, power in this institution should be broken down to the Managing Director, Executive Director Technical Services , Executive Director Finance and other directorates for more effectiveness, accountability and productivity that will culminate in efficacious checking and balancing,” he stated.
He said the company should be a haven for massive employment opportunities for Nigerian Students upon graduation as well as a technology site where our potential engineering students all over the country could come and experience technological innovations at its peak.
Also, the NANS President called on the anti-graft agencies not to leave any stone unturned as they beam their searchlights on the company.
