The Federal Government Thursday strongly opposed a Bill seeking to establish Mines’ Rangers.
It however urged the Senate to adopt the already created Special Mines Surveillance Task Force (SMSTF) to curb illegal mining in the country.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, his counterpart in the Ministry of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, made this call during a public hearing on a Bill which seeks to establish the “Nigeria Mine Rangers Service” organised by the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals in Abuja.
Alake who was represented by Engr Umar Bala – of the Mining Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, warned that if the government does not collaborate and share intelligence on an integrated approach, effectively combatting illegal mining could be elusive.
He said the Special Mines Surveillance Task Force (SMSTF), also in place , should be used to fight menace of illegal mining .
“The Special Mine Surveillance Task Force, comprised of multiple security agencies whose sting operations would be coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under the overarching of the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development, as detailed in the Special Mines Surveillance Task Force (SMSTF) Standard Operational Procedure (SOP), offers the best options as an integrated approach to combating illegal mining activities.
“If government does not collaborate and share intelligence qs an integrated approach, effectively combatting illegal mining could be elusive.
“The deployment of technology (non-kinetic approach) such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones specifically targeted to the mining sector can complement the current kinetic approach in surveillance by real-time gathering of information in digital format.
“I therefore call on this esteemed Committee to consider and adopt the Special Mines Surveillance Task Force and its Standard Operational Procedure (SOP), as a better alternative to the Nigeria Mines Rangers Service (NMRS)”, he said.
Making similar submission, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said there is no need to duplicate SMSTF already created to curb illegal mining.
The Minister who was represented by an Assistant Director in the Ministry, Mrs. Jeraldine Okafor, said, “The NSCDC and other organs like the miners’ special task and the police, are trained to combat illegal miners.
“The ministry is of the position that civil defence is part of the existing task force and there is no need to duplicate existing agencies”
Also, the Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi SAN, represented by the Director of Legal Drafting in the Ministry, Mr. Patrick Eta Oyon, also opposed the creation of the proposed Nigeria Mines Rangers Service.
Fagbemi said the agency would amount to duplication of functions and called for the amendment of the NSCDC Act to widen the duties of the NSCDC to include those of the proposed agency.
However, the Commandant General of National Unity and Peace Corps, (NUPEC), Dr. Chinedu Nneji and a representative of the Nigeria Customs Service, Timi Imodi, supported the creation of the Nigeria Mine Rangers.
The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ekong Sampson, lamented that the investigative work of the panel is presently being hampered by dubious illegal miners who hide behind legal processes to evade their inquiries.
