The Senate on Tuesday approved the establishment of an agency for the development of solid mineral resources in the country.
The approval followed a robust debate on a bill sponsored by Senator Tanko Al-Makura, which seeks to encourage investment and foreign exchange earnings for the country.
It is titled, “A bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Mineral Development Corporation to invest and catalyze investments in the mining sector, to promote and support mining sector growth and for all related matters.”
Senators who contributed to the debate argued that Nigeria was losing billions of dollars daily to foreign miners who were taking advantage of the lack of agency which is overseeing solid mineral exploration and exploitation of the products.
“Let me commend the sponsor of this Bill for what she has done in bringing it forward. The Bill is trying to modernize NPS by bringing in ICT. We should support this Bill so that it can go a long way in operating like what we see in other climes.” – Senator Barau Jibrin
Senator Jibrin added, “I think it is important to unbundle Nigerian Postal Service to allow modernity to come in place by bringing in ICT so that things will flow.”
For Senator Adeola Solomon, “The Postal service that we have today is like an abandoned institution. It no longer have the vibes that we have in the 70s and 80s. Our postal service can be a major revenue contribution but we have a postal service that can no longer function.”
“We are at the Information Technology stage. This is another call to service for us as Senators that we must holistically ensure we have a postal service that can compete with other postal services across the globe.” – Senator Adeola Solomon.
And Senator Ibikunle Amosun pointed, “What this Bill seeks to do is to enable us as a nation participate in discussions going on around the world. We must follow the way others that have succeeded are doing it.” –
Representing Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha said, “This Bill which seeks to reposition Nigerian Postal Service is very apt and timely. I am in full support of the Bill.”
