By Noel ONOJA

The Council of Nigerian Mining Engineers and Geo-scientists (COMEG), has recently held its 6th induction ceremony in Abuja. The ceremony which inducted 553 individuals and 25 corporate bodies into its fold is said to be the highest number of members inducted in one ceremony, bringing the total number to 1637 individual members and 46 corporate members since 2007.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Mr. Musa Mohammed Sada, charged the council and its members to imbibe strict professionalism in the discharge of the profession.

“Today marks another milestone since I inaugurated the fourth (4th) Council on 31st January, 2012. It has always been my passion to see that COMEG is properly re-positioned to take its rightful place as a foremost regulator in the Nigerian Extractive Industries.

Part of the strategy to achieving this objective is the caliber of persons appointed by Mr. President as chairman and members of council, and it is my great optimism that the council shall be able to meet the challenges and take COMEG to the next level. I am happy therefore to say that Mr President’s decision has started yielding positive results” the Minister pointed.

The Minister further spoke on the need for professionalism in the mineral and metal sector as well as in the oil and gas, towards attaining the President’s Transformation Agenda and the vision 20:2020

The Chairman, COMEG, Chief Chambers O. Oyibo, in his address, said: “today’s registration ceremony is in accordance with the statutory provision of the COMEG Act, which makes it mandatory for all qualified persons to apply to be registered by the council and be issued with certificates of authority and seals for authentification of all legal documents.

“It may interest this gathering to know that the council is working in tandem with Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) on the enlistment of COMEG registered professionals by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), fashion out standard professional fees to be charged for jobs carried out by our professionals and also ensure that key appointments on Professional Task/Assignments by Government are extended to our professionals in their relevant field of endeavour.”