Stakeholders have tasked the federal government to invest in the development of the solid minerals sector towards ensuring development.Speaking in an exclusive telephone chat with LEADERSHIP, immediate past President of the Nigerian Mining and Geoscience Society, Akinola George, he said that no serious investor will be willing to come and invest in the nations mining sector, if government fails to develop the Steel Sector to an appreciable level before giving it out.How can the government be talking about diversification, without wanting to invest' , he queried The government can also hold NIOMCO, because government will be losing revenue if it fails to take over NIOMCO which supplies to Ajaokuta he stressed.Reacting to the new concession agreement between the federal government and Global Steel Holdings, Mr George said , the global Steel could sell at exorbitant prices to Ajaokuta, thereby causing huge revenue losses to the federal governmentThe Geologists described Nigeria as Someone who owns a beautiful car, while the petrol to be used for the car is given to somebody else, who controls its usage and the quantity that can be usedContradicting Mr Georges Position, the current President ,NMGS, Professor Olugbenga Okunlola who described the new agreement as a fantastic development, said there is no need for apprehension as there are conditions attached to the new acquisitionProf.Okunlola noted that the new agreement is a win-win situation as it would ensure Ajaokuta keeps running even while they profit. It is not only Ore, there are other minerals and the activities of both parties will activate the mining of other minerals in the country he saidRecalling that the problem that had held the development of the sector for almost 8 years was legal as their contract was terminated and the people had fought for their rights, what the federal government has done now is to ask them to take Itakpe, now they can really look for serious people to finish Ajaokuta, expressing the hope that the new agreement will lead to the completion of Ajaokuta with transparencyHe noted that once we get Ajaokuta running , we would have solved the economic problem of NigeriaAlso speaking, the National President, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSSAN) Comrade Otori Saliu commended the efforts of the Buhari/Fayemi led administration, noting that 8 years was a long time to have waited for the resolution of the Ajaokuta legal tussle.According to the Comrade what we expected from the government was for them to put life to the complex, so that we can run it before handing over to a third party, as what the arbitration did not allow was for the plant to be handed over to a third party.He noted that in an earlier interaction with the Minister, Dr Kayode Fayemi, had posited that the federal government was not ready to spend a kobo on the plant but rather to look for co-investors who will through independent audits invest in the steel Plant.The Steel expert worried that it would be a disadvantage if GSHL is ready to commence activities and Ajaokuta still lagged behind.He noted that GSHL taking up NIOMCO still remained a task considering and they had a lot to do, as they had to pay up outstanding workers salaries and even sever some , who may not be interested in continuing with them.Recalling that the Minister had assured that GSHL only had 7 years to complete the full utilization of 12 years, he stressed that to achieve success there was need to concentrate on development of infrastructures including the construction of roads, dredging of the river Niger as well as the constructions of rail linesComrade Saliu maintained that government not living to its own part of expectations led to the failure of the initial agreement, but assured On our own part we would ensure we do our own part.Another Steel Expert who spoke on grounds of anonymity expressed the fear of NIOMCO failing to supply Ajaokuta steel complex, he said
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