By Martha Agas
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake says security agencies will chart modalities for securing Nigeria’s natural resources.
Alake said the move was aimed at preventing a recurrence of the Ibadan explosion and to address insecurity in the solid minerals sector.
He disclosed this at a news conference, shortly after the meeting of the Presidential Inter-Ministerial Committee on Securing Nigeria’s Natural Resources on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that President Bola Tinubu set up the committee on Jan. 17 to produce a blueprint for securing Nigeria`s natural resources which comprised of mineral sites, marine economy and forests.
The minister had announced at the end of the committee`s maiden meeting on Jan. 19, that the committee would be expanded to include key security agencies.
The expansion is aimed at producing comprehensive strategies on security and forwarded to the President for appropriate action.
Alake explained that the security agencies included in the committee would deliberate on strategies for addressing the insecurity due to their expertise in the sector.
“We have deliberated exhaustively and it’s decided that the security agencies that constitute the experts in this particular venture should meet and give us a work plan on execution of that mandate,“ he said.
He said that they would meet in a fortnight for further deliberations on the work plan.
He added that the work plan would include information of the outfits that the committee would propose, modalities for execution, funding and other details associated.
According to the minister, it is hoped that that its recommendations will avert any reoccurrence of the Ibadan explosion.
He further explained that government was still awaiting forensic result on the blast which he described as critical in determining its line of actions.
NAN recalls that no fewer than five persons were reported killed, 77 injured and 58 buildings damaged by the explosion.
The minister explained that the final forensic analysis report of the various security and intelligent agencies, along with input from technical experts, was crucial in unravelling the cause of the explosion.
“Fragments, document, a lot of items constituting evidence were taken and obtained from the site and some of these things have to be scientifically analysed before authentic reports are given.
“Government will not be able to give categorical statements until we have seen or received a report, studied, digest and analysed and come up with the informed decision.
“Anything before then will be assumption and we don’t work on assumption,“ he said.
NAN reports that ministers at the meeting include: Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal; Minister of State for Police Affairs, Imaan Suleima-ibrahim.
Others are: the Minister for Marine Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Interior, Tunji Olubunmi-Ojo and representatives of the service chiefs.
