By Richard Elesho
The Federal Government will continue to work to ensure that Ajaokuta Steel Company, ASCOM, gets fully back on steam, in the life of the current administration.
This was disclosed on Thursday in Okene, Kogi State by President Muhammodu Buhari.
The President who was in the State to inaugurate projects executed by the Gov Yahaya Bello’s administration underscored the importance of steel and the vast solid mineral deposits in the state to the nation’s development.
Buhari who spoke at a Town Hall meeting in the newly commissioned Ohinoyi of Ebira land Palace commended the Governor for paying attention to traditional institutions and infrastructure development.
“Our administration is working to reposition Kogi state as an investment hub through the activation of solid minerals in the state.
“No project is dear in our heart like the Ajaokuta steel company in Kogi state which we inherited in moribund condition from previous administrations.
“The steel company has dispute both locally and internationally, I am glad to say that through our concerted effort we are able to settle the dispute by paying some money and the company is now ready for concesionning to competent private investors that will operationalize it for the people of Kogi state and Nigerians at large.
“We are in talk with a reputable company in United States and by God’s grace, Ajaokuta very soon will come back to serve the people of Nigeria.
“The significant of making Ajaokuta steel working again is enormous as it will generate over 500, 000 jobs for Nigerian youths and also generate high revenue for the state and the country in the tune of over 1.6 billion dollar annually .
“Nigerians should be rest assured that my administration will pursue the issue of Ajaokuta steel company to logical conclusion before I leave office as president of Nigeria. Kogi Reference Hospital: one of the projects inaugurated by President Buhari in Kogi State on Tuesday
In his welcome address, Gov Bello appreciated the President for the visit and his several efforts in developing Kogi State. He enunciated the philosophy behind the projects.
“We took our time to move round the state to determine what the people are lacking, that can improve the standard of living and every year we zero down such need to our budgetary provision and we ensured that we follow it to the latter.
“We ensure that the entire people of Kogi state benefit from our projects executed from internally generated revenue, national resources and every other resources God gave to us in Kogi state.
“Mr President we hit the ground running and you told me to be courageous in leadership and how to bring out my best and today the projects are an attestation of our best to the people of Kogi state.
“I followed your footsteps in ensuring that projects and infrastructures that have direct impact on the people are completed”
The projects commissioned by the President are Agassa -Upogoro- Benin road, new Ohinoyi palace, Reference Hospital Okene, Confluence University of Science and Technology, CUSTECH, Ganaja flyover, GYB Model Science School and Muhammadu Buhari Square, MBS.
The President was received in all locations by enthusiastic citizens, traditional rulers and government officials.
Obi of Okengwe, Alh Mohammed Anaje stood in for the Ohinoyi, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim.
