AJAOKUTA STEEL: 'What's FG Stand', Lawyer Writes CSO Network on ASCL;'Resolving this knotty legal issue by government will be the first step to show their sincerity in reviving ASCL'

LETTER TO CSO COALITION ON AJAOKUTA STEEL

From:
Barrister Sulaiman Abdurraheem.

My dear Brother,
Mohammed B. Atta,
The Chairman/Convener
CSO Coalition for Ajaokuta Steel.

I wish to congratulate you again and your committee on the successful hosting of National Conference on Ajaokuta Steel held on 25th November, 2021 in Abuja. May God make good our dreams of a working/operational ASCL in no distant future.

I wish to also appreciate your methodology of advocacy, the non-confrontational interrogation of existing challenges to actualizing/revitalizing ASCL. This, you seek to achieve through dialogues, courtesy visits of official stakeholders, fora engagement via roundtable discuss and conferences. These, I must admit, are awesome undertakings and, we pray that at the end of the day, we achieve our set goals.

For those who may not know me, I worked closely, with Barrister Natasha Akpoti during her steamy advocacy to actualize ASCL. I can say that ours was more of confrontational, firebrand and checkmating through peaceful rally in Okene, Lokoja and a grand rally in Abuja with placards carrying Nigerians of all diversification in attendance.

Natasha followed up with Facebook updates, newspaper publications, frequent appearances in AIT, Channels TV, NTA, National Assembly, etc, crusading, pontificating and advocating for ASCL revival, confronting/checkmating the locals who wanted to take ASCL through the formation of AJAOKUTA-KOGI NIGERIA LIMITED and effectively leading to de-registration of the rogue company by CAC, confronting/checkmating the then Minister of Steel Development (Mr. Kayode Fayemi, present Governor of Ekiti State) who wanted to sell ASCL to a foreign (Chinese) firm.

But for Natasha’s one-man war against the Minister and some local cabals (which she did at the risk of her life), the story of ASCL would have been a different one today. No doubt, the Natasha’s activism awoken the consciousness of federal government, National Assembly and international stakeholders on the plight of ASCL. Agreed, it takes the likes of Natasha’s activism who is not one in government’s circle to stand boldly/bravely against government for perceived injustice against her people or community or the nation at large. Like I said earlier, your style of advocacy is a deviation from the above and, it’s an intelligent move too, all are geared towards getting ASCL revitalized. I believe too that you are determined not to rest on your oars after this successful National Conference.

However, I am of the opinion that our people should start what I will call *subtle resistance* against marginalization with respect to ASCL. I am not in anyway suggesting rioting, violence or violent demonstration and the likes. From past town hall meetings of past ASCL advocates to Natasha’s firebrand/checkmating activism/advocacy to your roundtable dialogue approach through conferences and roundtable discuss, we must graduate from here if the government still keep us perpetually marginalized.

By subtle resistance, I mean occasional peaceful and police monitored rally, barricading of roads for few minutes by placards carrying youths, petition to United Nations on Indigenous Community, etc.

I have lived in the North for about three decades and schooled in Kano/Zaria and by God’s grace an ardent Muslim believer and APC card-carrying member. No one can accuse me of hatred for the North or Buhari’s administration. But I must tell you that an average Northern politician only regards Kogi as North during politicking. There’s an appellation called Core North. If Kaduna has raised to establish a gigantic steel company (even though not measurable to ASCL), am not going to be pessimistic here, but it may be difficult to get our ASCL prayers answered by God through this present administration. I may be wrong though in my assumption. I will be most happy if the present Buhari administration can do this magic for us. We keep hope alive but we need to tell ourselves the truth, seriously.

Previously, I have written on this platform on the legal impediment to actualizing ASCL, occasioned by the August, 2016 Modified Concession Agreement between the Federal Government and GINL/GSHL (known as GLOBAL STEEL) the acclaimed indian company to which NIOMCO was now ‘bequeathed’ almost perpetually. Resolving this knotty legal issue by government will be the first step to show their sincerity in reviving ASCL. I have a Certified True Copy of the Modified Concession Agreement of 2016 which I personally obtained from the Fed. Ministry of Mines & Steel Development, Abuja when we (Bar. Natasha H. Akpoti and myself) sued the Indian company at Federal High Court, Abuja for human rights violation of the protesting youths of Ogaminana in 2008 (otherwise known as Ogaminana massacre).
I will highlight, once again, the salient issues in the subsisting Modified Concession Agreement (MCA) next time.

Sir, you need to approach the Minister on the government’s stand because they promised earlier that government will look into these legal issues. Brining in the Russian engineers or technical partners on ASCL while NIOMCO is still under the firm grip of Global Steel makes the whole of government’s promises a veiled attempt to play on our collective intelligence. We should make them know that we know and understand what’s on ground. I suggest this to be your next move.

Government should desist from making promises upon promises thinking that they can fool all of us at the same time. They technically mortgaged NIOMCO our ancestral/naturally gifted mineral resources to Global Steel through that Modified Concession Agreement of 2016. Pardon me for this localization, I know it’s supposed to be a national issue.

History will be kind to you on your achievements so far recorded in the struggle to revive ASCL. Lastly, I advise that you pardon our people here that speaks angrily about perceived lack of government’s insincerity or political will to actualize ASCL. The frustration is becoming, in fact has been, unbearable and, sometimes, am moved to tears when writing on this ASCL issue. It’s emotionally disturbing, frankly.?

Thank you and God bless you.