ASCL union leaders cautions senator Akpoti-uduaghan on misleading claims on the company Staff strength

The Workers of Ajaokuta Steel company Limited, (ASCL), has cautioned the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-uduaghan, to refrain from making claims that cannot be unsubstantiated or verified, saying such misleading claims are counterproductive.

They said, contrary to the assertions that the staff of the company are not up to ten at sight when in her words she sneaked into the Company at a time, the union leaders noted that by the records available to them, the current staff disposition of the Company stood at 1627 as at July, 2024.

This was contained in a joint press statement by the Executives of the Steel And Engineering Workers Union Of Nigeria (SEWUN), Association Of Senior Civil Servants Of Nigeria (ASCSN), Iron And Steel Senior Staff Association (ISSAN) and Nigerina Union of Mines Workers (NUMW), Ajaokuta Branch, on 11th August, 2024. Titled Re: Ajaokuta Steel Workers Salaries Unverifiable alarm raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-uduaghan

The statement which was signed by Comrade Anouda Isah Umar Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN)Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd-Branch, Comrade Usman, Bashiru Chairman, Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria (SEWUN)Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd-Branch and Comrade Ovajimoh Yahaya Chairman, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSAN), Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd-Branch and Comrade Salihu Idowu Adinoyi, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Mines Workers (NUMW)Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd-Branch was made available to Journalists in Lokoja.

The statement read in part said
“In the early hours of Wednesday, 31st July, 2024, Nigerians were inundated with banner headlines in various Nigerian News Media as well as Social Media platforms; with claims allegedly made by Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District that the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited Workers were unverified and allude that they Workers were Ghost Workers.

“We the representatives of the Workforce of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited wish to use this medium to respond to the misinformation and erroneous claims made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan regarding the Budget Personnel Cost provisions of our Members/Workers in the 2024 National Budget vis-à-vis the Staff Strength and put the record straight.

“As Workers and representatives of the various Workers Unions in the Steel Plant, we are duty bound to correct this injurious claims and unsubstantiated Alarm made by the Senator at the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Incidences of Corruption and Inefficiency at the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe.

While stating the facts, the union said “the Senate Ad-hock Committee invited all Stakeholders to discuss a way forward for the challenges bedevilling the Steel Company and we are also invited and it was during this meeting that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan made the claim with no evidence to back up her assertion.

“Contrary to her assertions that the staff are not up to ten (10) at sight when in her words she sneaked into the Company at a time, we state that while we do not want to join issues with when and how she came to the Company, we state emphatically that her claim is incorrect and to best of our knowledge and records available to us as Union Executives, the current staff disposition of the Company is 1627 and this figure is as at July, 2024.

They added that “It is also important to note that as at ten (10) years ago the staff strength of the Company doubled this number. The downward trend is associated with retirements, resignations and death since no replacements were being made to make up the aging workforce.

“We also state here that our workers are well trained and dedicated with skills that has enhanced the shelf life of the facilities in the Steel Plant to date.

“In fact it is the skills, knowledge and capacity of these dedicated Workforce that gave values to the 2002, 2010 and 2018, Technical Audits of the facilities of the Steel Plant and these exercises were carried out with the active participation of these same Workers that are now been hounded through misinformation.

The union leaders called on the senator to refrain from spreading information on Ajaokuta Steel Plant without facts, especially on matters relating to the very hardworking Staff of the Company

“Gentlemen of the Press, while we appreciate Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan for her concerns and efforts on the Ajaokuta Steel Plant challenges, like all other relevant Stakeholders of which we the Workers Representatives and the Workers themselves are part of; we fervently urge her to refrain from spreading information on Ajaokuta Steel Plant without facts, especially on matters related to the very hardworking Staff of the Company.

They noted that such actions are capable of truncating efforts already put in place, loss of jobs of the Workers she claims to be her priority and urged her to engage in constructive dialogue and collaborate with other stakeholders to address the challenges of the Company.

The statement noted further that,
“It is important to state here that the staff salaries in the Federal Civil Service are administered based on CONPS, CONHESS and CONMESS Consolidated Salary Structures classified between Grade Levels 02-17 and our Members are so placed depending on their experience, qualifications, length of service and are not based on off handed calculations like the Senator tried to postulate.

“It is on records that, the Federal Government had since 2012 being paying the Salaries of the Staff through the Federal Ministry of Finance-IPPIS Desk directly to the accounts of our members from the Personnel Cost Budget Allocation domiciled in the Accountant-General’s Office.

“The Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation physically visited the Steel Plant and conducted on the spot audit of the Staff between 7th and 18th February, 2022 and just recently in April, 2024.

“At the moment the IPPIS has commenced a verification exercise of Federal Government Treasury Funded Workers and our Members are participating in the verification exercise.

“It is therefore sad that the Senator would make such damaging and unverified claims without checks with Stakeholders, the Management, the Ministry and even the Office of the Head of Civil service but went ahead with the offensive claims that seek to destroy the zeal and commitment of the Workers who have put in all to save the Steel Plant from vandalism and above all made it stable, serviceable and attractive to investors.

“Gentlemen of the Press, it may interest you to note that from the series of the Staff verification exercises carried out by both the Office of the Head of the Civil Service and the IPPIS Desk of the Federal Ministry of Finance, there was no reported case(s) of any single ghost Worker found amongst our Members, thus this rejoinder is to politely correct Distinguish Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s misinformed claims on our staff disposition and not deserving of being paid Salaries. We note sadly that that even her arithmetic on the figures she quoted appear to us as blackmail.

WHAT HAVE WE BEING DOING AS WORKERS

“Gentlemen of the Press, it is often said that it is the person that wears a shoe that knows where it pinches him or her. It is our responsibility as representatives of the Worker to put the records in perspectives as to what we do and our responsibility to Ajaokuta Steel Plant and to the Federal Government that is responsible for the payment our Salaries and Allowances.

“We have since the exit of Global Infrastructure (GIHL) been responsible for the maintenance of the completed Units of the Steel Plant by way of idle- running of the Machine and Equipment, Security, General Administration, Hospital Management.

“In the Steel Plant for instance, our members still run a 2-Shift Work schedule to ensure that some of the Electrical Systems are energized periodically, while rotor dynamic equipment are also rotated manually to ensure the weight on the bearings are not static.

“Dewatering of the underground pumps and cable tunnels are managed by these same workers because the Steel Plant is located by the River Bank and some of the facilities like the Main Water intake is below the River Level and are manned 24 hours.

“In the Township, the Electricity Transmission/Distribution Lines which is about 95 kilometers, 26 Transformers in the Housing Estates, and over 200 industrial Transformers doted across the Steel Plant are also managed and maintained by these Workers.

“In our Hospital, the Medical Doctors, Nurses are on duty every day of the week and in fact, our Hospital is the only Medical Facility which has and still does assist in emergency cases in and around Ajaokuta Steel Territory.

“Most accident cases that happen between Lokoja and Ajaokuta as well as within Ajaokuta are referred to our Medical Centre.

“It is pertinent to also state that the present serviceable condition of the Steel Plant is because of the Workers who are in the employment of the Company and in fact their presence prevents vandalization of equipment.

“We wish to draw the attention of the public of an episode that occurred in 2004 when the Indian Company took over the Steel Plant. The Company came in with a large number of Indian Staff from their Country and their attempt to start the Steel Plant could not work until they allowed our Nigerian Workers take the lead and in less than three (3) months the Light Section and the Wire Rod Rolling Mills were jump started.

“This forced the Indian Management to return so many Indians back to their Country. This clearly shows the skills and capacity of our Members and their commitment to ensuring that the Steel Plant remains serviceable and worthy of investment.

“In recent times, some investors who have showed interest on partnering with the Federal Government on the Steel Plant have visited the facilities and all went back satisfied that the Steel Plant has been and remains well preserved and of course this feat did not just happen; someone made it happen and that is the workers.

“Gentlemen of the Press from this account you will agree with us that if there was no worker(s) before the Indians came and if the steel Plant has been left with no workers, what we call Ajaokuta today would have been lost; May God forbid.

“The salaries paid to these workers is less than 0.05% of the investment preserved in the Company, keeping these workers on the Federal Government pay roll therefore is a wise decision otherwise we will not be talking about Ajaokuta Steel Plant as of now.

OUR APPEAL

Gentlemen of the Press, on the current staff disposition, we appeal that the Committee recommends recruitment of additional qualified Nigerians to bridge the gap of the aging Workforce, this we believe will assist in skill transfer from the current staff and save the Steel Plant from deterioration and maintain its current healthy Engineering Status.

ASSURANCES

We assure Nigerians, that our workers/members will continue to protect and defend the Steel Plant.

We are equally ready to collaborate with every interested stakeholder in the Industry, the National Assembly and the Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan herself as the goal of making Ajaokuta Steel Plant should be collective and not selective.

On a final note, we want to sincerely appreciate the Chairman of the Senate Ad-hoc Investigating Committee for his sense of duty and openness in the way and manner he handled the situation.

It is our hope that this rejoinder has put the records straight as we have no animosity with anyone including our dear Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan but we crave for a constructive engagement devoid of seeming blackmail.

We as critical stakeholders are looking forward to partnering with all other relevant stakeholders so that Ajaokuta Steel Company’s dream can be realised to the glory of humanity and God.

Ajaokuta Steel Plant is beyond all of us as it is a National Asset and we must collectively work together on a path that seeks growth and development for our Communities, our States and our Nation; because working as team and as Joint Stakeholders is what will move Ajaokuta forward and NOT by fragmented approach.

Finally, we urge and call on our Distinguished Senator to join hands with our Honourable Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu in his unwavering task and commitment of pushing forward the agenda of President Bola Ahmed’s Administration for the revamping and turnaround of the capacity of Ajaokuta Steel Plant for a greater Nigeria, this we are confident that it is doable and together we can work towards a brighter, better and workable Ajaokuta Steel Plant for the good of Nigeria.