Stop Playing Politics With Ajaokuta Steel Coy, Allow Us Revive It – NSE Tells FG

The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) has called on the federal government to stop playing politics with the reactivation of the Ajaokuta Steel Company by resolving all policy inconsistencies.

The body challenged the federal government to call on Nigerian engineers to revive the company for the nation’s interest and prosperity.

The body stated this in a communique issued at the end of the 56th National Engineering Conference/ Exhibition and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) tagged “Abuja 2023” held in the FCT.

The communique signed by the NSE president, Engr Tasiu Saad Gudari-Wudil said Ajaokuta Steel Company is the lifeline of manufacturing and must be revived if Nigeria is to progress.

“The conference recommends that the government should make deliberate and sustainable efforts towards achieving full reactivation, rehabilitation and modernisation of Ajaokuta Iron and Steel Complex for sustainable industrial growth and development,” he said.

He explained further that policy somersault has over time prevented the reactivation of the company, adding that the policy-issues are beyond the powers of the engineer.

“Now, we’ve found ourselves with technical, political and international issues. So, we just have to ask the government to please resolve their own side (policy-issues) and allow us engineers to come and revive that place; we have the capacity.

“As I said earlier, the NSE has membership all over the world. We have 86 branches – three in the UK, one in the US and one in the Middle East and more are coming. All these our colleagues there have experience in all these organisations that we here don’t have.

“Our colleagues are making waves globally. Go to NASA and see how many Nigerian engineers that are there.

“I’m asking the government to challenge us, that we can deliver, just ask us to come and revive it,” he stated.