Day: June 2, 2024

A civil servant, Mr Ugochukwu Nwogute and his wife, Vivian have appealed to the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu and well-meaning Nigerians for support in raising their quadruplets.

The couple, who gave birth to the four babies in a private hospital in Kubwa, Abuja on May 21, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Speaking with NAN in the hospital, Mrs Nwogute, said she got married in 2015 and had her first daughter on Nov. 5, 2016.

‘After years of waiting, I became pregnant in Sept. 2023 and was delivered of three boys and one girl through caesarean section at Vinca hospital, Arab Road, Kubwa, Abuja, on May 21.

‘When I was told I was going to have multiple babies, it was a mixed feeling for me.

‘Mixed feelings, because I was not expecting it, but was happy because we have waited for years after our first daughter. So, we were hoping on God and praying and God did more than we expected,” she said.

She added that the hospital billed them about N1.7 milli
on in the first instance, which they were still running around to pay.

‘The babies eat two hourly, they consume almost half of their Pre NAN formula which we were asked to feed them with, and a tin costs N10, 000.

‘We also have follow ups because the paediatrician said after we have been discharged, we are expected to be bringing the babies to the hospital weekly for check up,’ she said

On the babies’ health, Mrs Nwogute said that they were responding to treatment, adding that her recovery was gradual.

‘I am getting stronger because I have relapses. For example, last night I was cold all through and I have treated malaria and because of that, I cannot breastfeed my babies the way I am expected to,” she said.

The husband appealed to the government to come to their aid, financially and in the area of accommodation for a bigger apartment that can be convenient for the family.

‘The journey has not been easy, taking care of a heavily pregnant woman and the only daughter we had eight years back.

‘When the b
abies came, I was not expecting such a number, but I give glory to God for the marvelous thing He has done for us.

‘My appeal to the government and well meaning Nigerians is for them to come to our aid.

‘We need financial support to take care of the babies as well as, in the area of accommodation, because the apartment we are currently occupying cannot contain us anymore,’ he said.

Nwogute, specifically appealed to the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, to see the quadruplets as anniversary gifts to the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

He, urged Mrs Tinubu, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmud as well as the wife of the FCT Minister, Mrs Eberechi Wike, to render assistance to his family

On his part, Dr Chiemezie Odera, an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist at the hospital said it would not be easy, taking care of the children as they would need more hands for their care because the mother would not be able to do it all alone.

Odera, therefore, urged the general public to support the couple so as to
take good care of the babies.

‘Most importantly is care and support after delivery. Any woman that has more than one baby, needs more hands to help out because she might go into depression if you allow her to stay without care.

‘So, we encourage that they have support, people should be around them to help in taking care of the children,” he reiterated.

The obstetrician said that it would not always be easy for the woman as her breast milk would not be enough for the babies.

According to him, Vinca hospital has been doing well in the area of maternal care, and the facility have had series of multiple birth.

Talking about the weight of the babies, he said, for the fact that they might not have weight like single birth, but they were still strong like any other single birth.

‘In the uterus, they shared what was available, so, you don’t expect them to have much weight.

‘But interestingly, those weights, no matter how small they appear compared to single birth, they are still as strong as those single birt
hs without any complication.

‘Though they need to be observed after delivery, but they are doing well. Even if they weigh 1.5kg, they are still as strong as 3kg and above,” he explained.

The Doctor added that there would be need for the babies to be reviewed over time by the paediatrician to see how they were faring.

Odera, while urging the nursing mother to eat well and rest, he advised her not to hesitate in coming back to the facility where the babies were delivered, in case of any issue.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The contractor working on the dualisation of the 22km Adentan-Dodowa road has given November this year for the completion of the first two-lane carriageway.

That will ease traffic on the stretch.

Work on the US$ 114,673,200 project officially commenced in April this year.

Briefing Mr Francis Asenso-Boakye, Minister of Roads and Highways, during an inspection tour , Mr Rosby Kobby Mensah, Project Director for Oswald Investments Limited, the contractor working on the project, said a substantial work on the first phase of the project was almost complete.

He said the clearing, removal and demolition of temporary structures and trees on the right-of-way had been concluded.

Additionally, excavation and replacement of bad soils, expansion of culverts and replacements, construction of roadside drains and earthworks, he said, had either been completed or ongoing

Mr Mensah said considering the level of work done within the past seven weeks, he was optimistic that by November this year the first carriageway would
be ready and opened to traffic.

‘We are showing commitment and I can assure you that by November one carriageway is done, asphalted. We can do it, it’s achievable, we work day and night so we can achieve it,’ he said.

The inspection formed part of the Minister’s nationwide tour, to obtain first-hand information on the conditions of roads in the country, as well as progress of work on some ongoing projects.

He was accompanied by Mr Titus Glover, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Abass Awolu, Chief Director of the Ministry of Roads and Highways, Madam Adwoa Duku, Regional Director, Urban Roads, as well as directors and engineers of the Ghana Highway Authority and the Ministry, among others.

Funded by the Government of Ghana (GoG), the project when completed would provide adequate linkages between Adentan, Dodowa and Kpong and to neighbouring regional capitals such as Koforidua and Ho.

The scope of the project is the design and construction of the 22km Adenta Dodowa road section of the R40 that starts
from the junction at Adentan on the National Route 4 (N4) to the town of Dodowa.

It includes two-lane service roads of about 14km on both sides of the road; pedestrian bridges or underpasses; provision of streetlights; and toll booths.

Mr Mensah added that 7km of road had, so far, been done while seven out of 39 culverts are expected to be constructed had also been completed.

Mr Asenso-Boakye said the project was critical to government as its competition would bring relief to many Ghanaians who plied the road.

He expressed satisfaction over the progress of work and commended the contractor for the work it had accomplished with the past seven weeks.

‘So far he’s done about 7km and he’s done seven major culverts with the view to improving the drainage challenges in the area. I’m very satisfied with the work and I have been assured that by November, a substantial part of the work will be completed and it will be opened to traffic,’ he added.

The Minister also inspected Three Junction to Kojo Ashong road, t
he dilapidated Kojo Ashong bridge in Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality, the partial reconstruction of the Abokobi-Teiman road, rehabilitation of the Kwabenya roundabout-Taifa roads and the School Junction-Motorway project at Borteyman, in the Ga East Municipality, and the Dome-Kitase road.

On the Three Junction to Kojo Ashong road, Mr Asenso-Boakye, said the stretch was awarded on contract sometime ago but due to unforeseen challenges, it was abandoned.

He said the ministry would take an immediate step to terminate the initial contract and re-award it for work to begin.

‘We will terminate that contract, repackage it and re-scope the project and give it to a new contractor,’ he emphasised.

Regarding the dilapidated Kojo Ashong bridge, the Minister said he had instructed the Bridge Maintenance Unit of the Ghana Highway Authority to assess the extent of damage for the necessary intervention to be made.

The bridge serves as a linkage between Amansaman, Domeabra and Kasoa.

On the 23km Dome-Kitase road pro
ject, Mr Asenso-Boakye said work on the project had not been affected despite government’s debt exchange programme.

However, he explained that with government about to conclude negotiations with the Paris Club and the International Monetary Fund, all resources would be mobilised to ensure timely completion of the project.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has addressed a forum of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in Antigua and, alongside several leaders, advocated strongly for change to the structure of the international financial system to protect vulnerable nations.

‘Ghana is committed to the fight of the SIDS because it is right, it is necessary, and because we have the moral duty to do so,’ Ms. Botchwey told the gathering which included UN Secretary-General Antonio Guttierez, and leaders from all over the world.

‘Ghana urges support for the 2022 Bridgetown Initiative for the Reform of the Global Financial Architecture,’ said Ms. Botchwey, referring to a global financial policy reform proposal initiated by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados whose capital city the idea is named after.

There are 39 countries categorized under SIDS, with 18 associate members. They constitute one percent of the global population, but are at the receiving end of disproportionate battering by climate disasters and stark eonom
ic conditions, due to their geographical remoteness, small populations, land size, and their citizens’ dependence on the ocean for their livelihoods.

Ms. Botchwey said: ‘Apart from the vulnerabilities we share as a result of climate change, and the solidarity we feel for the SIDS as the most impacted, we are in this together. The success of SIDS would be the success of the entire globe. We are committed to their fight for resilience.’

SIDS were recognised as a special case both for their environment and development at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Brazil 32 years ago.

‘SIDS face high import and export costs for goods and irregular international traffic volumes. Yet, they must rely on external markets for many goods due to the narrow resource base,’ a UN office, dedicated to SIDS, Landlocked and Least Developing countries, explains on its website.

The Bridgetown Initiative suggests a desperate and widely-acknowledged need for adequate funding for climate action, which would simultaneo
usly close the large infrastructural gaps that plague low- and middle-income countries, in order to achieve a more equitable and sustainable future for all.

Ms. Mottley, who commands rock-star status at international public forums, agreed with Ms. Botchwey, saying: ‘We must build a more responsive, fairer and more inclusive global financial system, and we must do so with pace and with scope. Speed and scope are what is missing.’

She said Ghana was in support of the call for debt relief by creditor countries and increased concessional finance and investment in SIDS.

Ms. Botchwey reminded her audience that a large number of SIDS were linked by blood with Africa including, in particular, those in the Caribbean, which has been categorized by the African Union (AU) as one of its six regions.

Ghana was heartened by the significant deepening of partnerships with the Caribbean, including through bilateral trade and investment agreements, technical cooperation and exchange of best practices and membership of the A
frican Development Bank (AfDB) and Afreximbank, she said.

The key policy lesson from recent records of how the most vulnerable countries had performed is that ‘business as usual is no longer a viable option,’ Ms. Botchwey said.

‘Continuing to apply the past models of development will not usher in the achievement of new outcomes. Building the economic resilience of developing countries, and SIDS in particular, is the imperative of our time.’

Ghana also chairs the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), comprising 68 of the most climate-vulnerable countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Pacific.

In April, VCF Finance Ministers meeting on the sidelines of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual Spring Meetings in Washington, DC., also called for major reforms to the international financial system to allow developing countries to access the finances needed to enable them meet climate goals.

A communique issued at the end of that meeting said high levels of external sovereign deb
t and debt service were crowding out the ability of governments to make the investments required to achieve their climate change and development goals.

Ms. Botchwey expressed condolences on behalf of Ghana to Papua New Guinea, following a landslide that killed and displaced thousands of people.

She also held bilateral meetings with several leaders and Ministers, including from Mauritius, Maldives,Nauru, Tsonga, Tuvalu and Antigua.

Ms. Botchwey, one of Africa’s top diplomats, is candidate for Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The organisation, with 56 coutries, a population of 2.6 billion and combined annual GDP of $13 trillion dollars, will choose a new leader in October. Thirty-three of its members are small states, including 25 SIDS.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Amnesty International (AI) Ghana has called on the government to look at human right violations that occurred in 2023 and address them accordingly.

They included women’s and girls’ right, LGBTI people’s right, freedom of expression and assembly, right to health, death penalty and executions and the right to a healthy environment.

Launching its 2023/24 human right report in Accra on the theme, ‘State of the World’s Human Rights,’Ms. Genevieve Partington, Country Director of AI Ghana said in December 2023, Ghana recorded a total of 187 persons on death row and since 1993 there had not been execution but there was the need to completely abolish the death penalty.

She said in July 2023, Parliament voted in favour of the amendment of two acts that would ensure abolition of the death penalty, more than 95% of persons on death row were for murder cases.

Ms. Partington said the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly continued to be threatened, and authorities used excessive force to disperse protes
ts.

For instance, four years after the murder of Ghanaian investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, the investigation was ongoing and no one had been brought to justice.’

Adding that, ‘in April this year, a coalition of media associations asked for a repeal of Section 76 of the Electronic Communications Act and Section 208 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, arguing that these laws had been ‘weaponized’ to arrest several journalists and restrict the right to freedom of expression.’

She said the right to health were limited in the country, ‘in February, Ghana Health Service revealed that 27 pregnant women in Bawku municipality had died between 2021 and 2022 due to their inability to access medical services.’

‘While some were unable to get to the hospital on time, others died due to staff shortages.’

Mr. George A. B. Aggrey Former Board Chair said Ghana had a lot to do regarding fighting for the rights of every individual regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, etc.

He called on the Presi
dent of Ghana to act on areas, highlighted in the report:

He said regarding women’s rights, the government should ensure strict enforcement of existing laws against Female Genital Mutilation, with a focus on protecting vulnerable girls and prosecuting offenders.

‘Address procedural issues promptly and sign the Anti-Witchcraft Bill into law to criminalize accusations of witchcraft, providing protection and justice for accused individuals.’

‘Prioritize and expedite the legislative process to pass the Affirmative Action Bill aimed at increasing women’s participation in governance and decision making at all levels.’

‘Remove import taxes on menstrual hygiene products and make potable water accessible, likewise sanitation, and hygiene facilities.’

On freedom of expression, he said government must expedite the investigation into the murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, dedicating sufficient resources and expertise to resolve the case.

He said the government must uphold the constitutional rights to peaceful assembly
and protest ensuring that law enforcement agencies facilitated and protected these rights, rather than suppressing them.

On the right to good health he said the government needed to address barriers to health care, particularly for pregnant women by allocating resources and funding to improve healthcare infrastructure in rural areas, ensuring that pregnant women had access to essential medical services and facilities.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ghana, through the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and national stakeholders in the food value chain, has adopted a Food Safety Master Plan to address food safety challenges and improve food control systems in the country.

The five-year Master Plan was developed by the FDA together with a constituted national food safety stakeholder committee with support from the African Union Commission to address gaps in the country’s food safety control systems.

This was developed based on a self-assessment of the food control system of the country to identify gaps and develop home-grown recommendations to improve the nation’s food sector.

Mr Roderick Daddey-Adjei, Deputy CEO of FDA in charge of Food Registration, said the plan showed the direction in which food safety and control systems should be pursued in the next five years with specific objectives and expected results.

‘It is also a practical document that would guide stakeholders on how to translate the plan into action with sections on implementation, including
details on activities to address strategic priorities, cost estimates, and roles of key players,’ he said.

Mr Daddey-Adjei said the plan would serve as a blueprint to guide stakeholders from time to time to ensure that foods produced and consumed were safe.

He added that they would be constituting a steering committee that would be championing the implementation and rollout of the plan in collaboration with all other relevant stakeholders.

Mr Daddey-Adjei said the major challenges with food safety identified were the lack of education and knowledge on the proper handling and safekeeping of foods.

He added that the FDA would be engaging in a routine sensitisation with food handlers, especially food vendors, on the right ways to keep and handle food.

Dr Rose Omari, National Consultant in the development of the plan, said there were weak legal and institutional frameworks challenges to food safety and control systems that needed to be addressed.

She said there were overlaps in institutional mandates and a
poorly coordinated institutional framework

Dr Omari, who is also Deputy Director, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI), therefore proposed that institutional mandates should be clearly defined and their coordination strengthened.

She said the plan had proposed a review of the Public Health Act to make room for the inclusion of a rapid alert system to bind institutions to respond quickly to food safety concerns.

‘The Public Health Act does not make provision for a rapid alert system and emergency preparedness and response. So we are proposing a revision of the Act to incorporate a rapid alert system and emergency preparedness and response,’ she said.

Dr Omari said food safety was everyone’s responsibility, adding that it was everyone’s role to ensure that food produced and consumed was safe and free from contamination.

Madam Winta Sintayehu, Senior Programme Officer, Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa, African Union Commissi
on, said Ghana’s master plan formed part of a continental African Food Safety Agenda they were enrolling in 12 African countries.

He said every year, millions of dollars were lost to food safety challenges, saying, this had become necessary for the Commission to support countries to build regulatory and infrastructural frameworks to address food challenges.

‘This would go a long way to achieve food safety and trade safe food across the continent and ensure the availability of safe and improved food for the citizenry,’ she added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, Ghana’s Finance Minister, has called on African governments to reform tax systems to make payment simple and fast, and friendlier to businesses and individuals.

That, the Minister said would engender compliance, increase domestic revenue, and reduce the continent’s heavy reliance on expensive international loans to finance the continent’s development.

According to the World Bank, low-income countries, including those in Africa face an estimated annual financing gap of half a trillion dollars to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

However, in most Sub-Saharan Africa economies taxes collected amount to less than 15 per cent tax-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which the World Bank says is barely enough to carry out basic state functions.

During an interview on the margins of the just ended 2024 African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr Amin Adam said, ‘we must reform our tax system to become fairer, and treat the taxpayer well.’

‘I’m
not saying we should overtax our people, but ensure that we bring efficiency to bear on our revenue collection and tax system… and have a system that is friendly to taxpayers and simple,’ he said.

While calling for incentives to make people pay taxes, Dr Amin Adam urged taxpayers to be honest with their payment, explaining that the frequent audit and ‘harassment,’ resulted from tax avoidance and the non-disclosure of income.

‘We must make sure that we bring in the informal sector because a few people are paying the taxes, therefore, if we expand the tax net and bring in more people,’ the Minister said.

That, he said would not only reduce the burden on the few who paid taxes, but also expand the continent’s tax base to generate more revenue ‘to support our own development.’

He also called for continuous education and sentitisation of the people on the need to pay taxes, and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital solutions to improve efficiency to make people spend less time to collect and pay ta
xes.

‘More importantly, we must spend the tax money prudently in areas that can generate more money so that we have value for money,’ Dr Amin Adam said.

Meanwhile, Ghana, last month, instituted a monthly stakeholder engagement initiative with the Diplomatic Corps as well as the trade in business community to that effect.

The engagement is to discuss, find and implement solutions to make taxes friendlier, ease the business climate, and track the progress made with solutions on the ease of doing business and increasing domestic revenue mobilisation.

The government has also echoed its commitment not to overburden taxpayers, but, use effective means to collect revenue from those who evade taxes, while making tax payment easy and fast.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Residents of Apo Resettlement Area in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) have decried the poor state of link roads and other social amenities in the area.

The residents, in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja, said they always pass through a lot of difficulties accessing their homes.

The residents further said that accessing critical facilities such as schools and hospitals was also a major challenge due to lack of link roads.

Elder Babayinka Ojo, a resident of Apo, said that all link roads leading to the markets and some estates had remained inaccessible by both motorists and pedestrians over the years.

‘Our city roads are full of potholes some of which have become craters.

‘These potholes are hazardous to motorists and pedestrians alike as they increase the risk of accidents, falls and possible injuries.

‘Driving at night is incredibly challenging and unsafe because of the dreadful roads and dilapidated link roads.

‘The alternative road that is supposed to c
onnect Agaba Estate junction to Main Market to decongest the excess traffic leading to the market is not accessible to both motorists and pedestrians,’ he said.

He said that some abandoned structures in the area have been occupied by criminals and drug addicts who pose serious danger to the residents.

‘The Sen. Zephaniah Jisalo neighbourhood roads are an eyesore.

‘The worst is a cashew plantation in the area called Agwa TV, which Indian hemp smokers have turned to a ‘no go area’ between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. daily,’ he alleged.

Ojo said that the road linking Lokogoma, Apo Mechanic, Shoprite/burial ground was another death trap to motorists.

Another resident, Mrs Esther Ekong, appealed to the Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, to come to their aid by fixing the bad roads in the area.

Ekong urged the minister to use his office to assist the community by allocating funds for the construction of roads in the area.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Mr Constant Tchona, Country Director of Plan International Ghana, has encouraged young people to embrace technology to remain relevant and competitive in the ever- changing world.

He stated that when young people embraced and adapted to technology, they would be able to stay up with the rapidly changing global tides and waves and maintain the gains made with the support of Plan International Ghana.

Mr Tchona said this during an exhibition fair organised by the Southern Programme Impact and Influencing Area (SPIIA) of Plan International Ghana for 32 youth-led organisations in Volta and Oti Regions.

The event was on the theme: ‘Youth Empowerment, A Necessary Tool For Development,’ and aimed to provide a platform for the youth groups to share knowledge and enhance the impact of their interventions.

The Country Director stated that in a world filled with difficulties, the youth had the key to unlocking solutions.

He praised young people for their determination to confront societal developmental concerns such
as the climate crisis, social injustice, education inequity, gender inequality, and healthcare inequities.?

Mr Tchona stated that the path to meaningful change was frequently fraught with challenges that necessitate a vision, resilience, tenacity, and teamwork, and that true achievement occured when one was willing to pay the price.

The Country Director revealed that the organisation had invested GHS800,000 in 65 teenage girls’ sexual and reproductive health rights clubs in their Northern Impact and Influencing Area (NPIIA).

He stated that Plan’s Flexible fund and Youth Challenge Fund had also provided cash to youth-led groups, supported movements and networks, and increased their capacity to influence change in their communities.

Mr Felix Datsomor, a Ho Circuit Court Judge, stressed the importance of youth in advancing national development and stated that being ‘youthful is to be useful.’

He challenged the youth to adopt a new perspective and stop being spectators in the events around them, emphasising
that they had the potential to transform Africa.

Mr Datsomor bemoaned that some attitudes among today’s youth, including the way they dress, were eroding the nation’s values and urged them to desist from such attitudes.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, says plans are ongoing by the Federal Government to establish six mineral centres in the six geo-political zones.

According to Alake, the aim is to boost the sector.

Alake said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the plan was part of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to diversify the country’s economy, by developing key sectors such as the solid minerals industry.

‘Another one is the creation of six mineral centres in each of the six geo-political zones.

‘We have our minerals all over the country and we cannot concentrate the mineral processing centres in one centre, and as we speak those plans are ongoing in the zones’, he said.

According to the Minister, the centres are also part of the government’s commitment to promote value addition to its minerals, aimed at facilitating multiplier effects on the economy.

NAN recalls that the minister had announced that no licenc
e would be granted to mining companies to operate without presenting a comprehensive plan for value addition such as processing and refining.

Alake said that investors in the past extracted raw mineral resources from Nigeria without adding value to them, which he described as a great loss to the country’s economy.

‘Lithium is one of the finest qualities in the world, and it has other associated minerals like nickel, cobalt, and copper.

‘So when an operator takes an ounce of our Lithium out of Nigeria, perhaps he declares Lithium.

‘But when he gets to his host country, he now has other associated minerals to his gain and to the loss of Nigeria.

‘So our major policy which we enacted is that, henceforth, we would no longer approve an application from an investor that does not show us a concrete plan for local value addition.

‘Which means processing here to add local value addition, and this will generate a multiplier effect like local employment, technology and skills transfer,’ he said.

He said that the
move was in line with plans to locally produce Electric Vehicle’s (EVs) batteries in Nigeria, whose major ingredient is Lithium.

‘Our objective here is to begin to produce EVs batteries with Lithium and other associated minerals, ‘ he said.

The Minister said that the local value addition policy had also been widely accepted by other African countries aimed at developing their local economies.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, says that plans are ongoing to increase the number of Mining Marshal Corps from 60 to 100.

The increase would be across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Alake said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that the move was part of efforts of the Federal Government to secure the mining operating environment aimed at attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) to boost the economic profile of the country.

NAN reports that the Mining Marshal Corps inaugurated on March 21, were drawn from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to combat illegal mining.

The corps has 2,220 personnel, who have been specially trained by the military in modern warfare as a rapid response squad with 60 deployed across the 36 states and the FCT.

‘We are looking at adding to the number to get a minimum of 100 in each state from the 60 on ground,’ he said.

He said that the
President Bola Tinubu`s administration was determined to sanitise the mining sector and reposition it by putting in place policy measures to attract big players to the sector.

Alake said that prospective investors would need assurance of the security of the operating environment, their investment, equipment and personnel.

The minister said that the insecurity situation at mining sites across the federation prompted the president to establish an inter-ministerial committee on Jan.17.

He explained that the committee was to produce a blueprint for securing Nigeria’s natural resources, which consisted of mineral sites, marine economy and forests.

The minister, however, said that while deliberations were still on-going by the committee on producing a comprehensive security architecture for the natural resources, the mining marshal corps was established in the interim.

‘Insecurity is rife in the forests where the solid minerals are deposited.

‘The inter-ministerial efforts are ongoing as set up by the preside
nt but I couldn’t wait because of the criticality in curbing the illegality in the sector,’ he said.

He said that the initiative was yielding the desired results, as more than 200 suspects had been arrested, with 133 being prosecuted and two foreigners convicted for illegal operations.

According to him, many requests are being received from states for the deployment of marshals in areas identified as sites of illegal mining due to their success.

‘Every day, I receive requests from states asking for the deployment of these mining marshals to particular areas in their forests where they notice illegal operations going on.

‘And they have gone inside the forests, the operating field to arrest, more than 200 have been arrested, about 133 are being prosecuted right now in various courts across the various states of the country.

‘And recently, two foreign nationals were jailed, convicted of operating illegally in the mining sector in Nigeria’, he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria