Senator Ekong Sampson representing Akwa Ibom South, yesterday, engaged the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, regarding the Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria, (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi. This was further confirmed via a press release endorsed on behalf of the Media Unit, by Samuel Udoma.
Chief Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, was before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, for the defence of the 2025 Budget of the Ministry of Justice. Senator Sampson is a very active member of the Committee. While in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the Onomkpoinam Mkpat Enin chaired the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
In the course of his budget defence, Senator Ekong Sampson inquired from the Attorney-General about the legal issues which have bedeviled ALSCON over the years and what steps the Ministry was taking to address the protracted legal quagmires, to open way towards the revamp of the now moribund plant.
Senator Sampson had earlier written the Attorney-General concerning ALSCON. He had also met with the Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shauibu Abubakar Audu, and other critical stakeholders, all towards the revitalization of the abandoned aluminum monolith.
Also, at Senate plenary, the Akwa Ibom South lawmaker had lamented over the state of ALSCON, describing its situation as a ‘metaphor for rape and abandonment’. He had prayed the Senate to intervene, to ensure that the mammoth plant was jerked back to life.
In his response yesterday, the Attorney-General offered insights on some of the issues surrounding ALSCON. On the legal tussles, Chief Fagbemi said that there was time for ‘war war’ and also time for ‘jaw jaw’, disclosing that conceited efforts were being made to revive the company. He raised hopes that the coast was getting clear for the success of ALSCON.
Recall that ALSCON, a once notable multinational, located in Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, has had a checkered history. The company stopped operations in 1999 due to issues of alleged lack of working capital, insufficient gas supply, and non-dredging of the Imo River.
In 2007, RUSAL, a Russian firm acquired ALSCON for $205 million, but the sale was met with controversy, and in 2012, the Supreme Court of Nigeria ruled that the sale was wrongful. Despite these challenges, there have been efforts to revive the company, including a reported $1.2 billion deal signed in 2024 with BFI Group to resuscitate the 135MMscfd Gas processing plant.
The revival of ALSCON would boost investors’ confidence in Nigeria’s economy, provide a significant boost to the country’s industrial sector and provide jobs to thousands of Nigerians.
Senator Ekong Sampson sees the revitalization of ALSCON as one of his key objectives in the Senate, and has assured that he will continue to push for the behemoth to be brought back to life.
