Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP, Kogi Central) on Wednesday engaged in a heated exchange of words with the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Mines and Steel Development, Senator Patrick Ndubueze, after nearly four hours of deliberations.

The altercation occurred at the budget defence session of the Ministry of Steel Development.

The session became tensed when Akpoti-Uduaghan continued with her line of questioning.

This development prompted the chairman to move to draw the session to a close, saying she had spoken at length and that the committee needed to wrap up proceedings.

The move triggered a sharp reaction from the Kogi Central senator, leading to a brief but tense standoff before order was restored.

She said, “Please, do not interrupt. I still have something to say, and I think you should respect me enough. Please don’t do that. Maybe you respect me. I think you have disrespected me more than enough. No, no, no. You can’t do this to me. You can’t. You spoke enough, allow me to speak. I have something very vital to interface with the minister.

“And it doesn’t matter if I’ve spoken once or twice. This is an interactive session. And you agree that we have not met with the minister enough. Only God knows where next we are going to meet with him as a committee.”

The chairman in return responded that, “ No, you have spoken enough and I have respected you enough.”

Earlier, the session, which focused largely on the performance of the 2024 budget and proposals for 2025, had been marked by intense scrutiny of the ministry’s handling of the Ajaokuta Steel Company and related Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with private partners.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, whose senatorial district hosts Ajaokuta, repeatedly questioned the transparency and structure of agreements entered into by the ministry.

“I did request for a copy of the MOU because I needed to be certain that due diligence was conducted,” she said.

“But since I was not furnished with the MOU, I had to rely on third-party conversations.”

According to her, information available to her suggested that while one partner was expected to provide technical expertise, financing was to come from others.

“If TPE was to bring the technical expertise, that means ProForce should have brought the finance. Please explain this to me,” she demanded.

The lawmaker also accused the ministry of failing to meaningfully engage her as a representative of the host community.

“I am the senator representing Kogi Central, and since I got into the Senate, we’ve just met only three times. We only seem to meet at budget presentations,” she said.

She disclosed that she had previously written to the minister seeking a meeting but was not granted an audience.

“I am saying it right now, I am going to write to you formally… I am seated in dual capacity. I have got host community representation to project and protect,” she added.

At a point during the exchange, Akpoti-Uduaghan accused the ministry of recycling rhetoric without tangible progress.

“You have prepared this fantastic speech… we just meet, we talk to the media, and then every day we fold our arms and do nothing,” she said.

“Three years into you being a minister, we are still trying to go back and forth on what is the best model to move Ajaokuta. Isn’t that funny?”

Prince Shuaibu Audu, the Minister of Steel Development, in his presentation, had stated that the ministry and its agencies received N24.143 billion in the 2024 appropriation, with N9.5 billion for personnel, N383 million for overhead, and N11.06 billion for capital expenditure.

According to him, as of December 31, 2025, total releases stood at 56.5 per cent of the appropriation, with personnel and overhead fully released but capital releases at 48.4 per cent.

He added that capital releases for the 2025 budget were yet to commence.

Responding to concerns over the MOU, the minister said the National Assembly had been provided with details of the agreement and advised the senator to follow established procedures if she sought further engagement.

(Daily Trust)

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