From Fred Itua, Abuja
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO) on Wednesday, called on the appropriate committees of the National Assembly to urgently commence a probe into the alleged disregard of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s dissolution order by the National Steel Council board.
Chairman of the CSO, Alliance For Credible Legislative Conducts (ACLC), Comrade Afuye Shola, who made the call in Abuja, alleged that the board is not only subsisting 10 months after the dissolution order, they have continued to engage in other illegal activities
He condemned what he described as “flagrant abuse of office and disobedience to the lawful orders of the President by the NSC board and called on the Secretary to the Governor of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu to cause the board to respect the lawful directive of the President.”
He vowed that the CSO would not hesitate to mobilise its members across the country to stage a massive protest to draw the President’s attention to the recalcitrance of the board which he dissolved about 10 months ago.
Shola said: “By this statement, we are calling on the National Assembly with oversight function on the Ministry of Steel Development to urgently commence a probe into this flagrant disobedience to the lawful order of the President and ensure that the right thing is done.
“But should they fail to heed our call, we shall mobilize our members across the Federal Republic of Nigeria and stage a massive protest to draw the President’s attention to the illegality being perpetuated by the NSC board.”
“The attention of the Alliance for Credible Legislative Conducts (ACLC) has been drawn to a case of monumental disobedience of the Presidential order on dissolution of boards, by the Ministry of Steel Development, which flagrantly disregarded the directive of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, as it pertains to the dissolution of boards of parastatals.
“Specifically, on the 16th of June, 2023, in a circular signed by Willie Bassey, director of Information, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, President Bola Tinubu approved the dissolution of all Boards of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies, except those listed in the Third Schedule, Part I, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Recent findings showed that the National Steel Council (NSC) was among the bodies dissolved by the above extraordinary Presidential order as it is clearly not among those Commissions and Councils listed in the constitution and therefore not exempted from that sweeping directive by Mr. President.
“We have equally discovered that the National Steel Council (NSC) is not only a parastatal under the definition of the Public Service Rules, but a policy-making body, that sets operational and administrative policies in accordance with government’s policies, and supervises the implementation of such policies.
“We are abundantly constrained to inform Nigerians today, about the utter disrespect for the orders of President Tinubu, high level of indiscipline, sheer irresponsibility and administrative rascality being extremely exhibited by the leadership of the Council, albeit with the acquiescence of Prince Shuaibu Audu, in the periphery of the National Steel Council (NSC).
“We hereby condemn in the strongest terms the deliberate cultivated muscling of statutory laws against established provisions or rules guiding the National Steel Council and using this medium to call on the SGF, Senator George Akume, to enforce the presidential order on boards’ dissolution without exception beyond the illogical posture of the Minister of Steel Development.
“The abuse of office at the National Steel Council and the refusal of the youthful Minister, to nip the embarrassing issue in the bud is a clear indication of incompetence, which simply means that Prince Shuaibu Audu whose Ministry just concluded an otherwise laudable Ministerial retreat with visible objectives is unwisely tolerant of what now makes him a real clog in the wheel of President Tinubu’s dream for steel development in Nigeria.
“Pertinently, the duo of Senator George Akume and Prince Shuaibu Audu should without delay put to rest the evident impunity and stark disobedience of Presidential order on boards; retrace their steps to curb the taboo going on at the National Steel Council and allow due process and transparency to prevail by calling the Board to order.
“Finally, we call on the Ministry, especially its Resident Anti-Corruption Units to exercise their statutory duties, without undue sensationalism, on allegations of financial infractions, to the tune of N1billion, which almost equals the budget for the NSC in 2023.
“While the Ministry musters the courage to do the necessary, the National Assembly which is saddled with oversight functions, should perhaps immediately look into this abnormal situation at the National Steel Council and handle it accordingly.
“This unbelievable, unfortunate and reckless abuse of power at the Council, has unduly embarrassed the government enough,” he added