Group wants NASS to probe NSC board over abuse of power or face nationwide protests

***Querries board for disregarding Tinubu’s dissolution order

***Asks SGF, Steel Minister to allow due process, transparency prevail, call board to order

A group, Alliance For Credible Legislative Conducts (ACLC), has urged the National Assembly to investigate the National Steel Council (NSC) for flagrantly disobeying the orders of President Bola Tinubu for the boards of Federal Government’s Agencies and Parastatals to be dissolved.
10 months ago, President Tinubu had approved the immediate dissolution of the Governing Boards of the Federal Government, parastatals, agencies, institutions and Government Owned companies in the exercise of its constitutional powers and in the public interest
However, the group is concerned that NSC is yet to be dissolved after 10 months of the directive.

The Chairman, Alliance For Credible Legislative Conducts (ACLC), Comrade Afuye Shola, who made this revelation during a Press Conference in Abuja on Wednesday therefore urged the relevant committees of the National Assembly that have oversight function on the Ministry of Steel Development to urgently commence the probe
“But should they fail to heed our call, we shall mobilize our members across the Federal Republic of Nigeria and stage a massive protest to draw the President’s attention to the illegality being perpetuated by the NSC board.
“He condemned the abuse of office and disobedience to the lawful orders of the President and called on the SGF and the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu to cause the board to respect the lawful directive of the President.

The CSO condemned what it described as flagrant abuse of office and disobedience to the lawful orders of the President and called on the SGF and the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Audu to cause the board to respect the lawful directive of the President.

Shola said: “The attention of the Alliance for Credible Legislative Conducts (ACLC) has been drawn to a case of monumental disobedience of the Presidential order on dissolution of boards, by the Ministry of Steel Development, which flagrantly disregarded the directive of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, as it pertains to the dissolution of boards of parastatals.

“Specifically, on the 16th of June, 2023, in a circular signed by Willie Bassey, director of Information, on behalf of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, President Bola Tinubu approved the dissolution of all Boards of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, Institutions and Government-owned Companies, except those listed in the Third Schedule, Part I, Section 153 (i) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Recent findings showed that the National Steel Council (NSC) was among the bodies dissolved by the above extraordinary Presidential order as it is clearly not among those Commissions and Councils listed in the constitution and therefore not exempted from that sweeping directive by Mr. President.

“We have equally discovered that the National Steel Council (NSC) is not only a parastatal under the definition of the Public Service Rules, but a policy making body, that sets operational and administrative policies in accordance with government’s policies, and supervise the implementation of such policies.

“We are abundantly constrained to inform Nigerian people today, about the utter disrespect for the orders of President Tinubu, high level of indiscipline, sheer irresponsibility and administrative rascality being extremely exhibited by the leadership of the Council, albeit with the acquiescence of Prince Shuaibu Audu, in the periphery of the National Steel Council (NSC).

“We hereby condemn in the strongest terms the deliberate cultivated muscling of statutory laws against established provisions or rules guiding the National Steel Council, and using this medium to call on the SGF, Senator George Akume, to enforce the presidential orders on boards, without exception beyond the illogical posture of the Minister of Steel Development.

“It might interest you to know that available records indicate that the Board had at infancy given series of approvals for vehicles, furnishing and office accommodation, where money was paid following the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the requisite accounting processes.

“However, some individuals within the Council that seemed ignorant of extant financial regulations sought to fraudulently circumvent standard procedure undeservedly portending further and unnecessary expenditure that will duplicate government expenses on office accommodation and furnishings; which matter Minister Shuaibu Audu failed to recognise.

“We also uncovered other gross violations and abuse by the National Steel Council as follows: Gross violations of BPP Provisions and Procurement Act during its 2nd meeting held on Friday, 20th of August, 2023 @ the Grand Ibro Hotel, Wuse Zone 5 Abuja; where the Council approved monetary threshold above the Government stipulated threshold, which it did not have authority to do. On the 9th of February 2023, the Council without the due consent of the Minister, who is supposed to be the regulator attempted to spend outside Budgetary provisions, and against the rules of procurement by attempting to open an account with TAJ Bank, with the sole purpose of taking loan to buy cars for official which is also openly outside the financial regulations regarding their entitlements; and also breach of extant financial regulations of the Federal Government under the guidelines of the operations of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy of the Federal Government. These attempted contraventions gave foundation to the conflict within the Council.

“The abuse of office at the National Steel Council and the refusal of the youthful Minister, to nip the embarrassing issues in the bud is a clear indication of incompetence, which simply means that Prince Shuaibu Audu whose Ministry just concluded an otherwise laudable Ministerial retreat with visible objectives is unwisely tolerant of what now makes him a real clog in the wheel of President Tinubu’s dream for steel development in Nigeria.

“Pertinently, the duo of Senator George Akume and Prince Shuaibu Audu should without delay put to rest the evident impunity and stark disobedience of Presidential order on boards; retrace their steps to curb the taboo going on at the National Steel Council and allow due process and transparency to prevail by calling the Board to order.

“Finally, we call on the Ministry, especially its Resident Anti-Corruption Units to exercise their statutory duties, without undue sensationalism, on allegations of financial infractions, to the tune of N1billion, which almost equals the budget for the NSC in 2023. While the Ministry muster the courage to do the necessary, the National Assembly which is saddled with oversight functions, should perhaps immediately look into this abnormal situation at the National Steel Council and handle it accordingly.

“This unbelievable, unfortunate and reckless abuse of power at the Council, has unduly embarrassed the government enough!”