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Ajaokuta Debt: Minister, TCN To Meet As President Tinubu Approves Fundraising To Revive Plant

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Nigeria’s minister of steel development, Shuaibu Audu, says he will meet with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and other stakeholders on the planned disconnection of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited (ASCL) from the national grid.

TCN, on Wednesday, issued a 14-day suspension notice to the steel company for nonpayment of N33.71 billion èlectricity bill.

The minister spoke to state house correspondents after he and Mohammed Badaru, minister of defence, briefed President Bola Tinubu on their recent trip to China.

Speaking on why the plant owes such electricity debt, Audu said investigation was ongoing, saying he asked Sumaila Akaba, managing director of Ajaokuta Steel, during a meeting, “why consumption of so much electricity in a place that is not operating at full capacity”.

“Part of what we also need to do is that we’re trying to revive Ajaokuta in a collegiate system, in piecemeal, and so we may not have the capacity to be able to pay all those outstanding amounts immediately,” he said.

“Part of what the MD of Ajaokuta told me is that most of the money is in interest payments, and NBET (the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading), the electricity company, that has disconnected it, is also a government agency.

“If we, as a government agency, are trying to revive Ajaokuta and working hard to do that, we should not have another hand within the same government making things very difficult for us.

“And so part of what we plan to do is to sit down on the table in the next few days as quickly as possible to be able to come up with a plan so that they can put it back on the grid and put things back in order.

However, the minister said it is a gradual process and Ajaokuta cannot be revived overnight.

“This is a plant that has not been working for 45 years, it is a difficult task to try and get it back on track,” the minister said.

Therefore, he called for the support of stakeholders, and entire government agencies, including TCN, to get the project back on track, to create job opportunities for Nigerians.

  • Tinubu Sets Up Committee To Revive Ajaokuta Steel Plant

Speaking further, Audu said the president has approved the constitution of a committee comprising key stakeholders to revive the moribund Ajaokuta steel plant.

The committee, he said, comprise the minister of steel development; minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy; minister of industry, trade and investment; as well as minister of solid minerals development.

Also, he said Lu’an Steel Holding Group, a Chinese steel group, has committed to investing in a new plant in Nigeria, while an Indian steel group plans to send an advanced team to the country for collaboration.

“We were in China on the 1st of January 2024, we were there till the 8th of January. And met with the Lu’an Steel Holding Group, which is one of the largest steel companies in China, is the top 20 steel companies in China. They produce about 20 million metric tons of steel per annum,” he said

“We had very meaningful discussions with them, and they agreed and made a commitment to set up a new steel plant in Nigeria, where thousands of jobs would be created, and they would invest billions of dollars in foreign direct investments into Nigeria.

“In that same regard as well, basically, our discussions with Lu’an Steel Holding Group, they mentioned that they would send an advanced team to Nigeria after the Chinese New Year, sometime in end of February 2024.

“And we briefed Mr. President that when the team is on ground, we would like to also give them audience with Mr. President, which he approved. Mr President was very happy with the development.”

Meanwhile, Audu said Tinubu has approved local fundraising initiatives for the Ajaokuta steel plant, saying reviving the plant will cost about $5 million.

“Mr President gave approval for us to raise money locally. The first phase of the project for Ajaokuta Steel Plant, to revive the entire steel plant will cost somewhere between $2 to $5 million and however, to restart the light steel section of the mill is going to cost us about N35 billion,” he said.

“So we’re going to the market to show proof of consent to raise this money from local financial institutions to be able to restart that.”

He said the ministry has received some offer letters from some financial institutions, adding that the transactions will be completed in a few weeks to be able to commence the project.

BIG STORY

“My NGO Account Has Been Hacked, N160Million Diverted” — VeryDarkMan

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Popular activist and social critic, VeryDarkMan, has raised concerns about the hacking of his NGO account, which led to the diversion of N160 million.

In a video shared on his verified Instagram account on Friday, he revealed that the incident had left him feeling distressed in recent days.

He explained that the funds were stolen after hackers allegedly gained access to the NGO’s website. The compromised account, which initially contained N180 million, now holds only N20 million.

He mentioned that law enforcement agencies had tracked one of the suspects, resulting in an arrest.

To address the situation, he stated that the NGO’s app had been temporarily taken offline for maintenance to prevent further vulnerabilities.

He said, “For the past few days, I’ve not been myself. I am here with Officer Joe, and we are going to Jos. NGO money—somebody stole the money. Somebody hacked into the NGO website, and I don’t know how they did it. N180 million is missing, but thank God we have tracked the person, and we are on our way to Jos.

“They have arrested one person, and that is why I’m even saying it now. I’m excited, and the account has been put on PND. The account now has N20 million, while N160 million has been diverted to another account. We are currently going there to see how we can get the money back. I just want to update you people.

“I even had to shut down the app and put it on maintenance so that people will not really see what is going on, but let me just come out plain and tell everyone what is going on. Hopefully, we will get the money back.”

The NGO, which launched in October, gained significant attention after raising over N21 million within 24 hours of its inception.

The initiative, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s public education system, attracted support from prominent figures, including music producer Don Jazzy.

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BIG STORY

Christmas Celebrations: Police Arrest 23 Suspected Armed Robbers, Hoodlums, Kidnapper, Recover Dangerous Weapons [PHOTOS]

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  • As IGP Commends Officers For Vigilance, Commitment To Safety

 

In furtherance of the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., to commands and formations to emplace unalloyed anti crime strategies towards ensuring adequate safety and security during this festive period, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force across several states in the country have successfully apprehended multiple groups of armed robbers, cultists and hoodlums targeting fun seekers and engaging in gangsterism during Christmas celebrations.

On the 25th of December 2024, at about 1am, the police operatives attached to Lagos State Command, received a distress call that a group of hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons was operating around the Safejo area of Amukoko, Lagos State. The swift response by the police operatives to the scene led to the arrest of 3 of the suspected hoodlums identified as Emmanuel Okoli ‘m’, 20 years, Ogunde Tejiri ‘m’, 20 years, and Emmanuel Orji ‘m’, 18 years, and also the recovery of the weapons they had used in carrying out robbery attacks on innocent funseekers in the area. The police have emplaced intensified searches to apprehend the fleeing members of the gang.

In a similar development, Police Operatives attached to Saminaka Division of the Kaduna State Command on 25th December 2024, at about 8pm, successfully apprehended one Sule Muhammad ‘m’, 25 years, who has been actively involved in multiple kidnapping incidents within the Saminaka area. Further investigation led to the recovery of a fabricated AK-47 rifle from the suspect. The suspect confessed to being a member of a notorious kidnapping gang who had been evading arrest since the arrest of other gang members on August 16, 2024, until his recent arrest on 25th December 2024. Following cooperation received from Muhammad, efforts are in top gear to apprehend other members of his gang and recover more arms and ammunition in their identified camp. Commendable efforts of the Nigeria Police Operatives have also been witnessed in states including Delta, Ogun Katsina, Benue, FCT and Imo, leading to the arrests of several suspects in various locations during the Christmas celebration period.

The IGP has commended the officers involved in these operations for their vigilance and commitment to public safety, highlighting their display of exemplary dedication in safeguarding our communities, especially during this joyful season. The IGP urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.

The IGP further assures citizens that the Force is fully committed to creating a safe environment for everyone as they partake in the joy and cheer of the holiday season. As the celebrations continue, the Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to protect all citizens and ensure that the spirit of festivities during this period remains unmarred by criminal activities.

 

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS,

ABUJA.

27TH DECEMBER 2024.

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BIG STORY

Road To 2027: We’ll Ensure APC Gets Less Than 15k Votes — Kwankwaso

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Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano state, stated that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) will reduce the influence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting with party stakeholders in Tsanyawa LGA of the state, Kwankwaso mentioned that the NNPP aims to ensure the APC receives fewer than 15,000 votes in the 2027 elections.

In the 2023 governorship election, the NNPP garnered 1,019,602 votes, the APC secured 890,705 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came third with 15,957 votes.

Kwankwaso emphasized that the NNPP achieved the “remarkable feat” of over one million votes despite being a new political platform and starting its campaign late.

“Now, it’s our turn to diminish APC’s influence. We will work tirelessly to ensure their votes are reduced to less than 15,000 in Kano come 2027,” Kwankwaso stated.

Kwankwaso, who was the NNPP’s presidential candidate in 2023, urged his supporters to stay united and focused to ensure the party’s success in future elections.

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