By Ibrahim Garba
The House of Representatives’ Committee on Steel Development has summoned the Minister of Steel Development, Shuaibu Audu, over alleged disobedience to President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the dissolution of all boards of agencies, parastatals, as well as financial and administrative infractions by the National Steel Council (NSC).
Chairman, House Committee on Steel Development, Hon. Zainab Gimba, made the invitation in a letter dated April 19, 2024 and addressed to the minister which was sighted by our reporter, in Abuja.
The letter was titled: “Urgent invitation to a session on the sustained disquiet at the National Steel Council; from allegations of financial/administrative infractions and purported dissolution of the National Steel Council (NSC).”
The letter reads in part: “I write to invite you to a crucial session over allegations of financial/administrative infractions, purported dissolution of the National Steel Council (NSC) and its connection with the Presidential directive on dissolution of Boards of Federal Agencies/Parastatals.
“It may interest you to note that the committee is inundated with arrays of negative criticisms from the general public and the media over the Council’s activities which includes: Legitimacy of the Council; Prolonged discord among Council members; Issue of dual office accommodation rent by the council; Status of the Steel Levy and its utilisation so far; Recruitment process in NSC and extent of compliance with due process/Federal Character; Other sources of funding of the Council since inaugurated in August 2022.”
The letter mandated the minister to appear before the committee on Wednesday April 24, 2024 at 2pm.
Recall that President Tinubu, had in June 2023 approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of all Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies in the exercise of his constitutional powers and in the public interest.
The President had in a statement by Willy Bassey, the retired Director Press, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume, excluded the Boards, Commissions and Councils listed in the Third Schedule, Part 1, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended from the directive.
“In view of this development and until such a time new boards are constituted, the Chief Executive Officers of the Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions, and Government-Owned Companies are directed to refer matters requiring the attention of their Boards to the President, through the Permanent Secretaries of their respective supervisory Ministries and Offices.
“Permanent Secretaries are directed, also, to route such correspondences to Mr President through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“Consequently, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are to ensure compliance to the provision of this directive which took effect from Friday 16th June, 2023.
“Permanent Secretaries are particularly directed to inform the Chief Executive Officers of the affected Agencies under the supervision of their respective Ministries/Offices for immediate compliance.”
However, despite this directive by the President, the board of the National Steel Council has allegedly continued to coexist with the management, leading to tension on who is in charge of the Council.
