By Luka Binniyat
THE Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Musa Sada has confirmed that some sections of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, ASCL, will be opened for operation, and that N600 million has been set aside to re-start the plant shut since 2008.

A statement by the Chief  Press Secretary of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Marshall Gundu said the Minister made the revelation when he visted the Governor of Kogi State last Friday on his was to inspect ASCL.

The statement quoted the minister as saying: “We have already set aside N650 million as seed funds to start some parts of Ajaokuta, and the money will be released very soon to the  Interim Management Committee of  the two companies. We are sure that when they start operation, they would be able to generate fund and sustain the two companies.”

According  to Arc. Sada, the units to be opened for operation at Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited are the Light section mill, the Wire rod mill, the Engineering workshops and  the  Thermal Power Plant.

At NIOMCO, the Minister said that Bergeaud Plant would be operationalised, stressing that he had received the Technical Audit Report on the two companies and that the reports would facilitate the re-opening exercise.

The minister also explained that the Federal Government was examining the previous failed concession agreements on the two entities to avoid mistakes of the past.

Governor of Kogi  State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the approval to resume operations at Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the National  Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe. He said that the two companies are the largest in the steel industry on the African continent.

Governor  Idris observed that Nigeria was loosing a lot of  money and resources as a result of the comatose state of the two companies, adding that it was a good development to  reoperationalise the  two entities. He noted that the nation cannot develop without a  functional steel industry.

He assured the minister of  the state government’s support and cooperation in  resuscitating the steel industry in the country.