BY AKUDORO GLORIA
In order to meet its goals of contributing 50 per cent to the country’s GDP, the Federal Government has vowed to block leakages and loopholes impeding the collection of accrued revenues in the Solid Minerals sector.
Dr Oladele Alake, Minister for Solid Minerals Development who made this declaration during his familiarization tour of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO), an agency of the ministry, said “We will employ all legitimate means of sealing leakages”.
In a statement signed by the Ministry’s Spokesperson, Alaba Balogun, Alake said the deliberate decision to block all leakages and loopholes across agencies of the ministry was aim at reviewing and enhancing revenue generation and to facilitate implementation of programmes that will lift the people out of poverty, create job and wealth under the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.
He clarified: “We will take firm decisions in record time, block all leakages and loopholes to enhance revenue, reviewing of all fees paid by operators and businessmen with alacrity, that will cut across all the Agencies of the Ministry”.
Alake commended the enviable contribution of the Mining Cadastre Office in the overall achievements of the Ministry and admonished it’s staff to intensify effort to surpass federal government’s target.
In his remarks, the Director General of the Mining Cadastre Office ( MCO), Engr. Simon Nkom briefed the Minister on its activities and programmes achievements and challenges, citing the need to upgrade the e-MCO+ to the new system for efficiency in the administrative management of Cadastre applications.
Still on familiarization tour of Agencies, the Minister also visited and acknowledged the peculiar role of the Nigeria Geophysical Survey Agency (NGSA) to the overall national development, particularly in projecting and generating vital data for all professional fields.
According to him, the Nigeria Geophysical Survey Agency (NGSA) affects every sector of the economy, adding the data, information and intelligence is power that very decision maker needs.
On his part, the Director General of the NGSA, Dr Garba AbdulRazak briefed the Minister on its mandate programmes and activities, with a guided tour of the agency’s museum.
During his visit to the Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geoscientists (COMEG), the Minister emphasized that the agency cannot be relegated as it performs a role that is critical to the survival of the sector and the nation at large.
He asserted that ”COMEG as a quasi-academic body is helping to ensure quality control in the training and practices of professionals in the Nigerian Extractive Industry”.
The Minister however assured the DGs, CEOs and Ag. Registrar of the three Agencies visited as well as the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO); Nigeria Geophysical Survey Agency (NGSA) and Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists ( COMEG) of the ministry’s constant support, cooperation and collaboration in addressing and resolving their peculiar challenges.