IDRIS AHMED, Lokoja
ASCL union leaders cautions senator Akpoti-uduaghan on misleading claims on the company Staff strength the Ajaokuta Steel Company (ASCL) Workers have cautioned the Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-uduaghan, to refrain from making unverified and unsubstantiated claims that are counter productive.
The Workers said the warning became necessary in view of the disturbance raised by the false information the Senator allegedly dished out to the Senate ad hoc Committee investigating incidences of corruption at the Steel company, which alleged that the Staff are not up to ten at sight.
In a joint press statement by the leaders of the various Unions at the Steel company, made available to Journalists on Monday, said, contrary to the assertions by the Senator, the record available to them indicate that the current Staff disposition of the Company stood at 1,627as at July 2024.
They expressed disappointment over Senator Natasha Akpoti Iduaghan claim that she sneaked into the Company at a time to obtain the fake information she is feeding the adhoc Committee.
The Union leaders’ joint press statement was signed by the Executives dated August 11th 2024, titled Re: Ajaokuta Steel Workers Salaries Unverifiable, alarm raised by Senator Natasha Akpoti-uduaghan, was issued by Comrade Anouda Isah Umar, Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN)Ajaokuta Steel Co. Ltd-branch, Comrade Usman, Bashiru Chairman, Steel and Engineering Workers of Nigeria (SEWUN) and Comrade Ovajimoh Yahaya Chairman, Iron and Steel Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ISSAN) and Comrade Salihu Idowu Adinoyi, Chairman, Nigerian Union of Mines Workers (NUMW).
The statement read in part said
“In the early hours of Wednesday, 31st July, 2024, Nigerians were inundated with banner headlines in various Nigerian News Media as well as Social Media platforms; with claims allegedly made by Distinguished Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District that the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited Workers were unverified and alluded that they were Ghost Workers.
“We the representatives of the Workforce of the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited wish to use this medium to respond to the misinformation and erroneous claims made by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan regarding the Budget Personnel Cost provisions of our Members/Workers in the 2024 National Budget vis-a-vis the Staff Strength and put the record straight.
“As Workers and representatives of the various Workers Unions in the Steel Plant, we are duty bound to correct this injurious claims and unsubstantiated Alarm made by the Senator at the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee to Investigate Alleged Incidences of Corruption and Inefficiency at the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and the National Iron Ore Mining Company, Itakpe.
“the Senate Ad-hock Committee invited all Stakeholders to discuss a way forward for the challenges bedevilling the Steel Company and we are also invited and it was during this meeting that Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan made the claim with no evidence to back up her assertion.
“Contrary to her assertions that the staff are not up to ten (10) at sight when in her words she sneaked into the Company at a time, we state that while we do not want to join issues with when and how she came to the Company, we state emphatically that her claim is incorrect and to best of our knowledge and records available to us as Union Executives, the current staff disposition of the Company is 1627 and this figure is as at July, 2024.
“It is also important to note that as at ten (10) years ago, the staff strength of the Company doubled this number. The downward trend is associated with retirements, resignations and death since no replacements were being made to make
