Nigerians Urged to Support Buhari for Completion of Ajaokuta Steel Company
a community leader in Kogi State, Pa Haruna Ahmed Osike, has appealed to Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari to complete and operationalise the ailing Steel Industry.
Osike, who described the blast furnace technology used in the establishment of Ajaokuta steel plant as the best worldwide, said the Ajaokuta Steel Company is not obsolete as being speculated.
The elder statesman made this appeal while speaking in Okene, the headquarters of Kogi Central senatorial district yesterday, saying those claiming that the blast furnace technology used in building the integrated Ajaokuta iron and steel plant is obsolete are ignorant of technology utilised by the builders of the industry
According to him, “It is unfortunate that some people who are fond of describing the Ajaokuta steel plant as obsolete are novice to the technology.
“The blast furnace-basic oxygen process was the technology adopted for the establishment of Ajaokuta Steel Plant which is still the best in world, as over 70 per cent of world steel production till date is through the
Blast Furnace Process Technology.
“It is on record that Ukraine in 2018 completed its third blast furnace. So also India in August 2013, and added another blast furnace at its Rourkela Plant, and on December 1, 2014, the same India added another blast furnace at its over seven decade-old plant in Burnpur using blast furnace technology.
“It is also on record that China in 2012 and 2013 built additional blast furnaces that gave them additional capacity to produce over 25 million tons of liquid steel per annum.
“So the issue of Ajaokuta Steel Plant being obsolete is far from the truth because if the technology is obsolete, I don’t think China, India, Ukraine can still adopt it till date.
“I strongly believe that the claims of Ajaokuta Steel plant being obsolete was orchestrated by few individual to discourage the government from its plan of resuscitating the steel industry and this claim can never stand because it is a reliable and efficient technology being used worldwide.”
He, therefore, called on Nigerians, especially the youths, to be steadfast in prayers and support for Buhari who has remain resolute in bring the steel industry back on track.
