Mining Operators are Subject to National Assembly Oversight, says Solid Minerals Minister, Alake
…as Senate Committee embarks on oversight visit to Ministry, MDAs
ABUJA – Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake has said that the National Assembly, through the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, has undeniable constitutional powers to oversight and inquire into operators in the nation’s mining sector, calling on industry players in the country to at all times, cooperate with the National Assembly, to foster greater working synergy.
Alake stated this yesterday, when he received members of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, who were on oversight visit to the Ministry. While interacting with the Committee, Dr. Alake noted that inquiries from the National Assembly into the mining sector could only engender positive collaboration, and not in any way, witch-hunt, as some operators do wrongly conceive.
The Honourable Minister used the visit to highlight on some of the gains and inroads achieved by the Ministry of Solid Minerals in the budget year under review which included increased revenue, improved investment, global partnerships, value chain generation, and a growing digital switch to properly monitor the sector.
He updated the Committee on some of the initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry, amongst which were the establishment of Mine Rangers, geo-satellite survey, cooperative society for artisanal miners, among others. He thanked the Senate Committee for its continuos advice and guidance, and sued for more deepened interface going forward.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Ekong Sampson had earlier in his speech, bemoaned the attitude of some practitioners in the mining sector who were fond of ‘writing long letters’ and instituting legal barricades, all in a bid to fetter the Committee against carrying out its constitutional mandate.
The Onomkpoinam Mkpat Enin cautioned industry players to play within the ambit of engagement in the sector, noting that the full potentials of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector can only be properly maximized through productive collaboration.
Senator Sampson, who enjoyed warm exchanges with Minister Alake during the meeting, thanks to their shared backgrounds in journalism, commended the Minister for his hard work and proactive efforts in the Ministry, which have been quite noticable since coming aboard. Sampson stated that the Committee was impressed with the improve accruals recorded in the sector in the year under review.
Senator Sampson conveyed the continuous commitment of the National Assembly to compare notes regularly with the Ministry, towards further repositioning the sector, especially through right legislations and oversights. He lauded the staff of the ministry for teaming up productively with the Honourable Minister, charging them to do even more.
Other members of the Senate Committee who spoke including Senator Mustapha Khabeeb, Senator Osita Ngwu, Senator Onawo Ogoshi, Senator Diket Plang, and others, canvassed for improved conditions for local miners, need for the establishment of a University of Mining to boost technical capacity, greater security for host communities, among other concerns.
Present during the oversight visit to the Ministry were the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Mary Ogbe, Mrs Tochi Onu, Director, General Services, Olusegun Ayoola, Director, Finance, alongside other top brass of the Ministry.
The Senate Committee equally visited the Nigerian Mining Cadastre Office, and the Solid Minerals Development Fund, in this first leg of the Ministry/Agencies oversight outing.
