N4.2bn salaries paid to ‘ghost workers’ at Ajaokuta steel — Senate alleges, launches probe

The Senate on Tuesday launched an investigation into the appropriation of N4.2 billion for personnel costs at the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited, despite allegations that the workers are unverifiable.

The Senate’s Ad-hoc Committee on Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Ore Mining Company raised concerns over the N4.2 billion allocated for personnel costs in the 2024 budget.

The issue came to the fore during an investigative hearing on alleged corruption and inefficiency in Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and National Iron Ore Mining Company from 2002 to date, by an Ad-hoc committee of the Senate.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP Kogi Central) questioned the Sole Administrator, Summaila Akaba, on the number of workers collecting salaries from the appropriation.

Akpoti-Uduaghan said, “The sum of N4.2 billion was appropriated for personnel cost in 2024, but from several visitations I’ve made to the complex, hardly were 10 people sighted to be around or doing anything, who are the workers collecting monthly salaries from the appropriated N4.2 billion?”

The Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu (PDP Enugu West), prevented Akaba from responding, stating that the appropriation was approved by the National Assembly.

Ngwu, in his interjection, said, “Please don’t let us indict ourselves because the said appropriation was approved by the National Assembly.”

In his closing remarks at the investigative hearing, the Chairman of the Ad – hoc Committee, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC – Ondo Central), said that presentations and submissions made by the various stakeholders, would be thoroughly looked into by the committee for a way out.