By Goodluck Ikiebe
L-R : Ministers of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru; Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake; Minister of State Defence, Alhaji Bello Matawalle.
In a show of solidarity, the Ministry of Defence is to collaborate with the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development on securing the mining fields across Nigeria to make the sector realize its goal of contributing substantially to the Gross Domestic Product and increase revenue accruable to coffers of the government.
The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru and his counterpart, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, Minister of State, Defence, gave this assurance while answering questions from newsmen during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Alake in Abuja.
Alhaji Badaru said, ”the purpose of the visit by the two of us is to discuss how we can provide security in the mining areas, we are working to provide Security on the farms; as well as provide Security in the mining sector, to make the country earn the much needed foreign currency”.
He noted that the mining sector is critical to help rejuvenate Nigeria’s economy.
Responding to the initiative of creating mining Police by the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the Minister of Defence lauded the concept, assuring that it will receive the necessary boost from the military.
Alhaji Badaru noted, ”we have to clear the territory with military to ensure safety.
“When the Mining Police come, they can take it up from there and continue to provide security in those mining areas”.
In a remark, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Oladele Alake, explained that the main essence is to secure our minerals sector.
“I have been saying it, even to foreign and local investors. That we need to secure our mineral sector, so that the operators both local and foreign can have unfettered atmosphere to operate, so that we can derive maximum benefits from these God given resources”.
According to him, “I have been saying that I am working in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence, inter – military agencies are involved, all the security architecture that we are reinvigorating.”
