Senate frowns at N4.2bn personnel cost for Ajaokuta steel
By Anjolaoluwa Adewole The Senate has frowned at the N4.2bn appropriated in the 2024 budget as personnel cost for unverifiable workers at the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited. The alleged unverifiable nature of workers at the non-functional steel company , came to the fore during an investigative hearing on the alleged incidences of corruption and inefficiency at the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Ore Mining Company from 2002 to date, by an Ad-hoc committee of the Senate. The Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi Central), took up the Sole Administrator of the Steel Company, Summaila Abdul-Akaba, on the number of workers collecting salaries from the N4.2bn appropriated for personnel cost in the 2024 budget. She stated that as an indigene of the area desirous to get the steel company revamped and working, she often makes unscheduled visits to the plant and hardly finds 10 people at work. She lamented that desp...