….we generate over 52% entire of sectorial revenue – DG

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – IN the quest to boost revenue generation from the solid minerals sector, the House Committee on Solid Minerals, Tuesday, assured the Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, NMCO, of incentives for greater productivity.

The assurance was given by the Chairman, House Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Hon Jonathan Gaza who led members of the Committee on an oversight visit to MCO in Abuja, and we’re received by the Director General, DG, Nigeria Mining Cadastre Office, NMCO, Engr Obadiah Nkom and other management staff of the Office.

Hon Gaza said the management and staff of MCO deserve better working conditions, while he acknowledged the huge revenue it is generating, only in October 2024, generated N8 billion, based on this effort the Agency needs to be given the privilege to enjoy certain level of comfort in order not to muzzle the ox that treads out the vine.

However, he called on the DG MCO to address trouble-shooting issues on consent, establishing State offices, and others.

He said: “There is need to make the environment as conducive as possible for people to be able to buy. Now, having said this, one issue which is of great concern to me is the issue of your incomes. For an Agency in this ecosystem to be getting an appropriation of N1 billion, and you are raising, as of October, over N8 billion, to me, is an abberation, and it is something that must be checked.

“I believe if better equipment are procured, with more training and with better supervision or even the mining licensing, you should be able to make much more than this. You don’t have to wait and just advertise for annual returns.

“You should equally be able to be proactive, send out demand notices and things like that, and of course, all this come with extra funding but what is of utmost importance to me is the fact that when you have an Agency that is in charge of such a sensitive issue and if your staff are not well incentivized it will bring about sharp practices within the ranks and file of the Agency.

“So in order to discourage sharp practices, it is very necessary that the staff and the environment is well incentivized.

“So I want to assure you, that is one of the reasons we started our oversight with the Agencies, before meeting a parent regulator who is a Minister. Now we are going to make a very strong case for MCO, to make sure that funds are adequately provided for MCO to thrive. So I believe it is something that should be done.”

Meanwhile, according the lawmaker, the Ghana Minerals Commission is one of the wealthiest commissions in that country, because they get their revenue and what is actually retained by the Commission, and that, of course, has spurred their staff into better productivity.

“So I honestly believe that for the fact that you have been able to improve in your revenues, better working condition should be given”, he added.

Earlier, the DG, MCO, Engr Obadiah Nkom, disclosed that the Agency currently generates over 52 per cent of the entire sectoral revenue generated, however, inadequate funding has been a major challenge to the operations of the Office despite the huge revenue generated.

“I want to plead with this committee to be able to look at this aspect, that since the inception of cadastre, it has not been able to retain one naira.

“We don’t have collection fees, and we believe that this is a prayer that we request the house to look into it.

“This is because if the Mining Cadastre generates about 52 per cent or more than 50 per cent of the entire sectorial revenue, I think a small percentage of the collection fees will help us to run the office.

“It will also enable us to make more money for the federal government”, he said.