By Christian Jonathan -(NASS Abuja)
The Bureau of Public Enterprises exonerates itself from the alleged mismanagement dispute of Delta Steal Company now known as Premium Steel Company Aladja following their appearance in an investigative hearing at the invitation of Federal House of Representatives Committee on Public Assets; which they were asked to brief the Committee on their role in the whole saga. Speaking under oath, as directed by the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Ademorin Kunye, the Director General(DG), of the agency(BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi maintained that their role in the matter stopped at the Privatization of the Delta Steel Company in February 2005 and their mandate has not extended to involving in the management of the Steel Company. The DG BPE dropped this hint in the investigative hearing at the National Assembly, Abuja recently.
Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria through BPE had sold 80% of the shares of Delta Steel Company to Global Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (GIN) in 2005 through President Olusegun Obasanjo’s Privatization policy.
Allegedly, it is said that GIN Ltd however used Delta Steel Assets as collateral to obtain loans from financial institutions which they failed to pay back, leading to the seizure of the assets by Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON).
At the House of Representatives public investigative hearing were representatives of the Assets Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Premium Steel Company, Concerned Dwellers of Delta State, Aladja, Ministry Of Finance(MOFI) amongst others. According to the Committee’s Chairman, this investigative hearing is pursuant to Powers Derived from Section 88, 89 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, and Order 20 rule 109 LOC of House of Representatives Standing Order which empowers the Committee investigate and oversight the Management of government assets situated anywhere within and outside the country.
In the discharge of this mandate, the Committee received information about the sale of this company by a private firm by BPE some times 2005…”, he stressed. It was also revealed that the investigative hearing was partly convened based on the petition from the members of Concerned Dwellers Of Delta State, Aladja for harassment from the management of Premium Steel; which after hearing from both parties invited, the Chairman gave an order to the management of Premium Steel restraining them from further incursions on the Dwellers, till the issues are resolved, he emphasized.
Some of the Committee Members present at the investigative hearing were, deputy Chairman, Hon. Olusola Fatoba, Hon. Blessing Amadi, Hom. Ali Adeyemi Taofeek, and Hon. Bassey Akiba. Others were, Hon. Festus A. Adefaraye, Hon. Abbas Agbowuorin, Hon. Sani Lawal, Hon. Esosa Eyawueh and Hon. Henry Okojeh.
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