The House of Representatives at its plenary session passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and the Minister of State in the same ministry, Abubakar Bwari.
The legislative house described them as unfit to occupy the ministerial positions.
The action followed the non-appearance of the two ministers at the session on the revival of Ajaokuta Steel Company holding in Abuja.
The members described their non-appearance as, not only contempt to the House, an act of executive recklessness.
It could be recalled that in the past three months the issue of revitalising the multi-billion dollar Ajaokuta Steel has raised concern not only among Nigerians but the Federal Government.
The over 40 years steel factory in Kogi State which was built by the government of Alhaji Shehu Shagari has become moribund and efforts by successive governments to revive it did not yielded any fruit.
It was this concern and the search for the way forward for the moribund industry that led to the House of Representatives convening a summit.
Going by legislatives procedure and extant laws, the implication of the vote of no confidence means the call on the president to relieve them of their ministerial portfolios.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, it was gathered was unhappy with the decision of the two ministers to be absent at the summit.
It was gathered that their absent at the Ajaokuta Steel dabate was premeditated if earlier correspondences between the House and the ministry were anything to go by.
Findings revealed that prior to the summit, the House had through a letter dated 16th February, 2018 invited Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Solid Mineral and Bawa Bwari to the sectoral debate slated for Thursday, March 1, 2018, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. with special focus on the steel sector, particularly on how to revive the moribund Ajaokuta steel company.
However, the ministers through a letter signed by Abdulkadir Muazu, Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, dated February 27, 2018, with reference No: MMSD/S/BUDG2017, explained that the ministers had prior official engagements.
“The Honourable Minister has prior diplomatic schedule engagement in preparation to the focal labs of ERGP relating to the Mining Sectors while the Minister of State will be leading the Ministry’s delegation to Canada to attend the PDAC Conference.”
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Speaker Yakubu Dogara unsatisfied by the reply from the ministry had observed in his letter that the sectoral debate would have provided opportunity for officials of Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals to debunk the widespread allegations that the proposed concessionaires had tied their hands.
“In your letter under reference, you said the two ministers in the Ministry would not honour the invitation due to prior commitments. According to the letter, ‘The Honourable Minister has prior diplomatic schedule engagement.’ I am further directed to respectfully state that the House considers the attendance of one of the Ministers in the Ministry of crucial importance to its legislative intervention in the steel sector to ensure timely completion of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, and consequently requests you to reconsider the apparent boycott of the House’s sectoral debate.
“We think that the debate presents an opportunity for the Ministry to debunk the widespread allegations that the proposed concessionaires have tied the hands of the Ministry.
“We are worried that the apparent boycott of the session by your Ministry can only lend credence to the allegations that the top echelon of your ministry is deeply conflicted in the matter.
“In view of the cordial relationship that has always existed between the two Honourable Ministers and the Speaker and the institution of the House of Representatives, we urge you to take all reasonable measures to reinforce this relationship more so that the session is widely advertised and will go on with or without your participation,” the Speaker wrote.
It is yet to be seen what further action the legislators will take concerning the two ministers in days ahead.
