The House of Representatives will next Thursday resume its sectoral debates with special focus on the steel sector, particularly on how to revive the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State.
House Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, recently made an unprecedented visit alongside members of the lower chamber to the steel company earlier this month to seek ways of completing the firm, seen as pivotal to the country’s industrialisation efforts, but neglected by successive administrations.
However, top players in the sector and major stakeholders are expected to attend the sectoral debate which will be televised live from 11a.m to 3p.m, including ministers, top government bureaucrats, members of the Ajaokuta community, experts and other stakeholders.
Notably, the minister of Solid Minerals, Mines Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; his State counterpart, Hon. Bawa Bwari; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; Ohinoyi of Ebira land, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government Area, representatives of workers’ union, experts in mines and steel as well as other stakeholders will be present in the House chamber.
The session will also be broadcast live on television and streamed live via House of Representatives Facebook page and YouTube channel between 11a.m. to 3p.m., according to a statement by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Hassan Turaki.
Sectoral Debate is an initiative of the eighth House of Representatives encapsulated in the Legislative Agenda introduced by Dogara with the aim of reviving Nigeria’s economy.
The first phase of the debates was held in May 2016 and was attended by ministers in the chambers of the House with a view to making them more efficient and effective.
