The National Assembly Joint Committee on Steel Development yesterday ordered the Minister of Steel Development Shuaibu Audu to return the N2 billion allocated to the agencies under the ministry.

According to the committee Co-chairman Zainab Gimba, the directive is to the avoid misappropriation. This came as Audu said the technical audit on the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited would start in February.

According to him, the technical audit will pave the way for the for the rehabilitation, completion and operation of the steel plant and the National Iron Ore Mining Company (NIOMCO) in Kogi State.

The minister gave the assurances when he defended his ministry’s 2024 budget expenditure and the 2025 budget before the committee.

The Federal Government signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the original builders of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant Messrs, Tyazhpromexport (TPE) and members of their consortium Messrs Novostal M and Proforce Manufacturing Limited to carry out the technical audit since September last year.

A member of the joint panel representing Kogi Central, where the project is situated, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, asked Audu to give a definite date for the commencement of the technical audit. Akpoti-Uduaghan said: “When was the MoU entered into?

“Which month? Can you tell us the month that the MoU on Ajaokuta was entered?” The minister responded had a conversation with the Permanent Secretary this morning Wednesday) on the commencement date.” He then directed Permanent Secretary Chris Osa-Isokpunwu to address the panel on the issue