Politics
No Allocation In 2023 Budget To Combat Illegal Miners – Minister
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Olamilekan Adegbite, says no provision was made to combat illegal mining in the ministry’s 2023 budget.
The minister made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at a budget defence session organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Steel.
He said N37.2 billion was earmarked for the ministry and its 10 parastatal agencies for 2023. He gave a breakdown of the money as N10.06 billion for personnel costs, N2.05 billion as overhead and N25 billion for capital expenditures.
The minister explained that there is a N21.7 billion World Bank loan tagged Multilateral and Bilateral Tied Loans for Mineral Sector Development Projects.
He said if that was taken off, the ministry would be left with only N3.26 billion for capital expenditures as the ministry had no control over the repayment of the N21.7 billion.
“We are trying to tighten security on the sophisticated activities of illegal miners through the surveillance task force in collaboration with the office of National Security Adviser (NSA).
“We do not have any budget for security or to chase illegal miners, there is nothing in our budget for that. “We are working with the NSA, which has made a robust proposal to the president. If this proposal is acceded to, we should see some improvement in how we can deal with illegal miners in 2023,’’ he said.
He said efforts would be made to tighten security on the increasing and sophisticated activities of the illegal miners.
The minister also told the committee said that the focus of the 2023 budget is to improve the revenue generating capacity of the ministry in order to contribute to foreign exchange earnings.
Adegbite said adequate attention was being given to improve health and safety of miners and to increase investment drive to attract foreign investors.
On the 2022 budget performance, the minister said the ministry generated N7.2 billion in revenue, expressing hope to hit N10 billion before the year runs out.
On the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel Company, the minister said N109 million was provided in the 2022 budget to concession the company.
He said that the process was on-going and that the ministry was working to ensure the right hands took over its operations, expressing hope that it would start running in two years’ time.
Earlier, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Abdulahi Ali (APC-Kogi) noted that Nigeria was facing a lot of economic uncertainties.
He noted also that Nigeria’s economic challenges resulted largely from over-dependence on crude oil.
Ali said the committee was interested in putting measures in place to revive the Ajaokuta Steel Company and the steel sector generally in 2023.
He said the Ajaokuta steel project was conceived as a strategic industry, a job creator and a foreign exchange saver and earner.
According to him, it is envisaged that the project will generate a myriad of socio-economic benefits and increase the productive capacity of the nation through its linkages to other industrial sectors.
Ali said the project was expected to provide materials for infrastructural development, technology acquisition, human capacity building, income distribution, regional development and employment generation.
He said also that the company was meant to generate important upstream and downstream industrial and economic activities critical to the diversification of the nation’s economy.
“We are witnesses that Nigeria today is facing the most uncertain economic realities and setback by unprecedented debt profile due to the nation’s over-dependence on the oil sector.
“Government must therefore think up alternative initiatives and think outside the box to harness other resources and remain economically afloat.
“The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development is, therefore, key in any meaningful efforts towards achieving economic prosperity and development of the nation.
“No economy can survive without its mines and steel industry functioning optimally.
“For Nigeria to become a viable and productive economy, we must, as matter of urgency, revive our steel sector and aggressively introduce modern technologies in the mining and steel development industry,’’ Ali stressed. (NAN)
The former two-term governor went down memory lane to recall how they founded the APC but were used and dumped.
In his words, “…those calling on us to join APC, we have agreed to join the APC but on clear agreement that protects and respects the interest of my party, NNPP and my political movement, Kwankwasiyya. No state where you go that you don’t have NNPP and Kwankwasiyya. We have gubernatorial candidates, senatorial candidates and others.
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us.
“We were among the founding fathers of the APC and endured significant persecution from various security agencies while challenging the previous administration.
“Yet when the party assumed power, we received no recognition or appreciation for our sacrifices, simply because we didn’t originate from their original faction.
“We are not in a hurry to leave the NNPP; we are enjoying and have peace of mind. But if some want a political alliance that would not disappoint us like in the past, we are open to an alliance. Even if it is the PDP that realised their mistakes, let’s enter an agreement that will be made public,” Sen. Kwankwaso stated.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed long-standing claims that he once sought to extend his tenure in office, insisting he never pursued a third term.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Chief Obasanjo said there is no Nigerian, living or dead, who can truthfully claim he solicited support for a third term agenda.
“I’m not a fool. If I wanted a third term, I know how to go about it. And there is no Nigerian, dead or alive, that would say I called him and told him I wanted a third term,” the former president declared.
Chief Obasanjo argued that he had proven his ability to secure difficult national goals, citing Nigeria’s debt relief during his administration as a much greater challenge than any third term ambition.
“I keep telling them that if I could get debt relief, which was more difficult than getting a third term, then if I wanted a third term, I would have got it too,” he said.
He further cautioned against leaders who overstay in power, stressing that the belief in one’s indispensability is a “sin against God.”
On his part, former President Goodluck Jonathan said any leader who failed to perform would be voted out of office if proper elections were conducted.
Describing electoral manipulation as one of the biggest threats to democracy in Africa, he said unless stakeholders come together to rethink and reform democracy, it may collapse in Africa.
He added that leaders must commit to the kind of democracy that guarantees a great future for the children where their voices matter.
He said: “Democracy in Africa continent is going through a period of strain and risk collapse unless stakeholders came together to rethink and reform it. Electoral manipulation remains one of the biggest threats in Africa.
“We in Africa must begin to look at our democracy and rethink it in a way that works well for us and our people. One of the problems is our electoral system. People manipulate the process to remain in power by all means.
“If we had proper elections, a leader who fails to perform would be voted out. But in our case, people use the system to perpetuate themselves even when the people don’t want them.
“Our people want to enjoy their freedoms. They want their votes to count during elections. They want equitable representation and inclusivity. They want good education. Our people want security. They want access to good healthcare. They want jobs. They want dignity. When leaders fail to meet these basic needs, the people become disillusioned.”
The dialogue was also attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto diocese of Catholic Church among others who all stressed that democracy in Africa must go beyond elections to include accountability, service, and discipline.
The Rivers State House of Assembly yesterday resumed plenary session after a six-month state of emergency imposed on the state by President Bola Tinubu elapsed on Wednesday midnight.
President Bola Tinubu had lifted the emergency rule on September 17, with the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and members of the state assembly asked to resume duties on September 18.
The plenary was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule, at the conference hall located within the legislative quarters in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The conference hall has served as the lawmakers’ temporary chamber since their official chamber at the assembly complex on Moscow Road was torched and later pulled down by the state government.
The outgone sole administrator of the state, Ibok-Ete Ibas, could not complete the reconstruction of the assembly complex as promised.
Recall that on March 18, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers following the prolonged political standoff between Fubara and members of the House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
He subsequently suspended the governor, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and lawmakers for six months and installed a sole administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd.), to manage the state’s affairs.
The decision sparked widespread controversy, with critics accusing the president of breaching the Constitution.
However, others hailed the move as a necessary and pragmatic step.
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