Nigerian Lawmakers Pass vote of no confidence in Fayemi

Nigerian House of Representatives on Thursday passed a vote of no confidence in the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

The lawmakers took the decision in Abuja after the minister failed to attend a debate on steel development in Nigeria.

The decision followed a motion sponsored by the Leader of the House, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila representing Lagos State, during a plenary session at the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly in the nation’s capital.

They equally passed a vote of no confidence on the Minister of State for Solid Minerals Development, Mr Abubakar Bwari, who was also absent at the gathering.

The failure of the ministers to attend the debate sparked an outrage on the part of members of the Lower Chamber who resolved to set up an investigative committee to probe the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun is also absent at the gathering, but she is expected to attend the debate later in the day.

Sectoral Debate is an initiative of the 8th House of Representatives encapsulated in the Legislative Agenda introduced by Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara, with the aim of reviving Nigeria’s economy.

The first phase of the debates held in May 2016 and was attended by some ministers in the chambers of the House with a view to making them more efficient and effective.

The House resumed the debates with a special focus on the steel sector, and specifically, on how to revive the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company in Kogi State.

Top players in the sector and major stakeholders expected to attend the gathering include ministers, top government bureaucrats, members of the Ajaokuta community, experts and other stakeholders.

Expected participants are the Ohinoyi of Ebira land, Ado Ibrahim; Chairman of Ajaokuta Local Government, representatives of workers’ union, as well as experts in mines and steel among others.