Engr. Oladipo Makakese Bayode, 42, Development Worker, Lokoja

The proposed sale of Ajaokuta is a bad decision. At a time when Nigeria is striving towards economic rejuvenation and youth empowerment, no sane government should be thinking about selling Ajaokuta. One, before the eventual collapse of Ajaokuta so to say, it was adjudged that the steel company was at 98 per cent completion stage. Plus, or minus the wear and tear now, let’s say it is now about 80 per cent. Should any responsible government be thinking of selling the company? Instead, it should be talking about partnership. The federal government should rather look into the possibility of getting into partnerships, especially in this era of PPP. We are talking about partnering with agencies, both governmental and nongovernmental organizations towards completing the steel plant. When you look at household commodities, particularly in the construction sector today, over 60 per cent of the materials you need in construction are steel and allied products. That’s steel and other products that can be gotten from the bye products of steel. It is not about production of steel components alone. We are also talking about products that can be gotten from the bye products of steel. Therefore, I don’t even want to believe that a government under President Muhammadu Buhari that prides itself as a government of change would be thinking of selling our collective heritage.