‘Nigeria needs more credible individuals in solid minerals’ exploration and processing to grow the IGR’

Olusola Olatunji Davies is the Deputy Commandant of Corps, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Kwara State Command, presently in charge of Mines and Steel Unit of the Command. In this interview with SIKIRAT SHEHU, he said that illegal miners’ activities were getting unabated and barefaced. He called for more intervention and funding from the Federal Government, as well as more recruitment of personnel into the system. Excerpts:

Mines, as one of the natural resources that can grow the economy and boost the internally generated revenue (IGR), but the sector is said to be exploited by foreigners. How will you react to this?

Thank you. Well, first and foremost, let me say that the incumbent Federal Government, after the enormous wealth the natural resources could bring to the country, has not ceased in its efforts in making sure our sovereign natural resources are harnessed, explored and processed by every possible means to boost the IGR of Nigerian states, but you know, immediately the present administration saw beyond the oil sector and to really diversify into our mineral resources, attention of saboteurs equally shifted greatly into it. The intention of this present administration extended beyond the initial move by the past administrations where Miners after exploration, were just exporting mineral crudes while insignificant finished products purchased in return in an exorbitant fashion. Of course, this was quite out-of-place to grow our economy to a laudable state.

The processes of acquiring exploration licenses, purchasing and processing, etc, was clearly made known to intending business enterprises, but you know, some people would want to ‘jump’ the protocols not to register legitimately, not to pay royalties to government and dues to communities in which they found themselves.

Great number of foreigners are involved in this but frantic efforts by the Ministry of Solid Minerals have not ceased in making sure saboteurs are ‘brought to books’. Several arrests have been made in the recent past of foreigners and locals and of course have been prosecuted, while some are still undergoing prosecution.

Read also: Kwara NSCDC records 159 cases of gender-based violence

How far has NSCDC gone in curbing the menace in Kwara?

In Kwara, the Command is doing its best to make sure the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government on this line of economic resuscitation is addressed. The NSCDC Kwara State command has been after several trucks loaded with crude minerals, to ascertain their genuiness, equally paying unscheduled visits to mineral fields where intelligence shows their activities while collaborating with Federal Mines Office (FMO) in the state to ascertain facts. Some companies do indicate their up-to-date registration with Cadastral, through the FMO, for record purposes. Our men on the field do checkmate loaded trucks to ascertain they are doing the lawful businesses. Kwara State, being the gateway to so many states, do encounter situations where some move without correct way bills, impersonated waybills, illegal purchase of mineral crudes, etc. Some were arrested and brought to the Command for questioning. Most are released on the condition of ‘going back’ to do proper documentation or get their trucks impounded until they come up with detailed evidences of royalties paid into the coffers of Federal Government. Efforts are also put in place with collaboration with FMO to have unregistered companies sealed.

What are the challenges your agency encounters while rendering services for humanity?

There are challenges of course. One of the challenges is where two legal miners enter registered miners’ sites of operations to explore and most times, attack them when challenged. Also, where a registered miner is using a license for a state to operate in another state. We have equally noticed where registered miners ‘jump’ necessary royalties’ payments or not ‘up-to-date’ in payments.

Similarly, we have faced confrontation with illegal miners with arms on the field where we engaged them in gun duel and they take to their heels eventually. Improper supply of intelligence from the public foil our operations at times. A good example is one carried out at a particular region in Kwara. Surprised to say before our arrival to the site, the foreigners’ informants accosted us on the way, moved ahead us on bikes, as the access road leading to the place was quite bad. On getting there, a sister agency hired by this foreign nationals confronted us aggressively with arms and of course, our mission to have the company sealed off by FMO was aborted to avoid bloodshed. Traditional heads of some communities are instrumental to the excesses of these foreigners. Most of them denied the presence of these illegal miners in their domain.

I want to make some observations or suggestions that could help in the policing of the sites.

First: How I wished legal miners come together to assist us as a security agency saddled with the responsibility to protect Critical National Assets and Infrastructures of the government and private entities to provide more logistics such as Operational vans, Motorbikes to enter into creeks and of course, money to complement federal government ‘s efforts.

Two: since checkmating illegal miners’ activities is getting tedious, we need additional intervention from the Fderal Government. More funding, especially now that the operation to bring deviants to book is getting covert nature, as well as more recruitment of personnel into the system.

Three: Powerful radio networking equipment are required as some creeks have bad networks. Using our conventional mobile phone can be quite disappointing due to network problems.

Read also: NSCDC boss condemns attacks on security personnel during protest

In your opinion, how do you think the sector could be appropriately embraced or adequately taped as oil in Nigeria?

I want to at this juncture commend the Federal Government on the initiative to help build and reposition our economy for greater wealth, exploring our mineral resources in another dimension, to ‘process the mineral crudes here in Nigeria’ before exportation, away from what we used to have.

We are using this opportunity to call on private companies, individuals of noble character, industries, etc, to key into solid minerals exploration and processing, in order to increase our Internally Generate Revenues (IGR), nationwide.

Those already in the system too should not be deterred in any way, if all these are taken cognisance to; Nigeria can be greater than what it used to be.