Find the Letter after cut.
Dear Mr. President,
We are the graduate set of Mining
Engineering 2012/2013 (graduated 2014 due to strike action) from The Federal
University of Technology, Akure. The only set of Bachelor of Engineering in Mining
Engineering produced in the country for the year with many counterparts
distributed across various Polytechnics in the country.
We write to you with a sense of
patriotism and loyalty to our dear country and with utmost respect for your
leadership and administration.
We want to foremost commend you on
your pursuit against corruption which has withered our economy, and the implementation of the process
of Justice in the civil sector. We commend you on your fight against terrorism
that is ravaging the existence of the lives of our brothers and sisters in the North-Eastern
part of the country. Some
of us who served in this zone of Nigeria have seen the horrors of terrorism and
we will like to commend the Nigerian Armed Forces for their sacrifice since the
war began. We commend you on your executive order in the clearing of Ogoni land.
We also commend you on the foreign policies in strengthening security and
democracy across the war ravaged countries in Africa and the stability your
leadership is promoting across divides of Africa. Also, we congratulate the
newly appointed and confirmed ministers of the Nations with the hope to get the
best for the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD), and finally pray
for the fulfillment of the plans of this present dispensation; with life
longevity for his Excellency.
We as concerned citizens are writing
you because we want a leader like you to hear our salient voices in our
struggle towards promoting uydgcf;รณb5`2 3gdcthe Solid Mineral industry. We and the
industry have been neglected without the hope of remembrance. We have been
shown no recognition in the labour market for far too long than our conscience
can bear. The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) was established in
1985 as a bold attempt by the Nigerian government to offshoot the rapid
beneficial development of the country's Solid Mineral resources. But the Ministry
has had its share of appeasement of some political actors without the moral and
intellectual capabilities to handle the sector which have inexplicably crippled
a Ministry that has done well for other nations of the world. Here is the list
of Ministers of Mines and Steel Development (MMSD) and their related academic
achievement since 2003.
1. Magnus Odion Ugbesa (July 2003-June 2005) studied
Political Science at First Degree and International Relations at Masters and
was a lecturer before coming into Politics
2. Obiageli Ezekwesili (July 2005-June 2006) had a Master's
degree in International Law and Diplomacy and a Master of Public Administration
degree trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant.
3. Leslye Obiorah (June 2006-May 2007) is a Professor of Law
4. Sarafadeen Tunji Ishola (July 2007-Oct 2008) obtained a
Diploma in Marketing, was a lecturer at the Federal College of Education,
Katsina and later joined the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, Abeokuta.
5. Diezani Alison-Madueke (Dec 2008-March 2010) studied
Architecture
6. Arc Musa Mohammed Sada (April
2010-May 2015) also studied Architecture.
Mr. President, We believe this gives
a little understanding where the neglect of the Ministry emanated from. These
people have not been able to drive a formidable force to battle the Dutch
Disease the Oil Boom of 1970 brought to our land; though we would not play
ignorant of the policies that have been made by them but we care more about
implementation than public information. Sadly, the official website of the Ministryis
not assessable to the everyday internet users, which speak volume of the rot,
decay and neglect of the Ministry; in which the original website www.mmsd.gov.ng does not seems to exist anymore. Mr.
President, ‘information is key and knowledge is power’. The first point of
contact any investor has with a country is based on whatsoever information the
investors get to see on her website and that triggers and influences the physical
presence of the investors. We believe no investor wants to come to a country
with a dark view of neither their resources nor an out-of-date/nonexistence
website. We desire a change and an upgrade in the Ministry of Mines and Steel
Development (MMSD) Sir.
Mr. President, We are addressing you
as promising and courageous citizens with the understanding of the greatness
the Solid Mineral sector can add to an emerging economy like Nigeria which
presently accounts for only 0.3% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Comparing
with fellow African economies, the Mining sector in South Africa accounted for
8.3% of GDP directly and nominal mining GDP of R279.7 billion was recorded in
2013, up from R270.2 billion in 2012. In Ghana, Mining industry account for 5%
of the GDP whence the industry was expected to generate a revenue of US$35
billion in 2014. Namibia Mining sector made a direct contribution of 13% to GDP
in 2014 with a revenue of N$21.61 billion, a 3.25 percent increase from 2013.
While in Canada, Approximately 380,000 people across Canada work in the Mining
and Mineral processing industries. Also, Mining contributed $54 billion to
Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013 and the industry accounted for
19.6% of the value of Canadian goods exports in 2013. The only question we ask
ourselves while in school was “What are these Economies doing right that we
cannot do better than them?” We have the Manpower and the intellectual prowess
but our (Mining Engineers) neglect has made us a product of deviation into the
Oil and Gas industry or even Banking sector whilst a greater part of the
economy goes to shambles of oblivion.
Mr.
President, it is imperative for the National Iron Ore Mining Company(NIOMCO) to
be operational again because since its inauguration in 1983, the plant has been
embroiled in managerial inaptitude and controversy, ranging from allegations of
obsolete machines and outdated blast furnace model among others. We understand
as a matter of fact and urgency that you are trying as much as possible to
block leakages, cut down government expenses, repatriate stolen funds and so on
but these acts alone are not going to be enough to sustain this great country’s
economy if nothing is done with the Solid Mineral Endowment of the Nation which
is enough to hold and stabilize our economy as a country without the incurable
dependence on oil.
Mr President, what if crude sells
between $25 – $50 per barrel for the next 8 years, do we have a hope as a
Nation?
Another
important reason why the Steel Industry has to work in Nigeria is the fact that
we can actually produce military hardware, Nigeria made automobiles, trains and even flying machines. All
we need to do is to invite manufacturing companies to come and invest in
Nigeria because we have all it requires; the raw materials, the Landmass and the
Manpower. The Steel industry if fully established will
invariably generate nothing less than a million jobs for our teeming unemployed
youths which will reduce the poverty index of the Nation. The same industry
will generate power needed to carry out all the production processes as this
country has enough coal reserve to power the whole Nation for years. The good
news about these progress is that they are achievable within a very short
period (36 months), and the best way to go about it is to seek partnership with
any economic giant in this industry like South Africa, Canada, Australia, among
others which will boost our international ties with these countries. Likewise,
countries like Russia and Germany in the manufacturing industry for giant
productivity.
Mr. President, we also like to bring
to your attention an area of grave concern in the mining act; which is the
restriction of state governments from developing the solid mineral endowment in
their respective states due to the limitation of state authority provided by
the Exclusive Legislative list in the 1999 Constitution. Item 39 in the
Exclusive List includes ‘Mines and minerals, including oil fields, oil mining,
geological surveys and natural gas’. A majority of these states are so poor and
can barely survive, existing as they do on allocations from the Federal
Government. Developing the Mining industry would boost the economy of such
states by increasing their Internal Generated Revenue(IGR). A constitutional
amendment would be required to so permit greater state government involvement
but nonetheless it is worth considering. As stated in your manifesto titled
‘Roadmap to a New Nigeria’; “I will make sure people at a local level benefit
from mining and mineral wealth by vesting all mineral rights in land to state”.
We believe your words are your bound, as you are a man of integrity. Thereby,
we hope to get this promised fulfilled in earnest.
Just for the record Mr. President, we
will like to notify you about a fact as a reminder. Organized mining in Nigeria
began asearly as 1903 under the British colonialgovernment. And by the 1940s,
the country hadbecome a major producer of tin, columbite, andcoal. We as a
Nation are blessed with overthirty two(32) discovered profit making solid
minerals-iron ore,coal, tourmaline, gold, kaolin, limestone, dolomite, beryl,
glasssand, bitumen, uranium, tin and itsassociated minerals and recently gypsum-which
are found incommercial deposits acrossthe country. Coal, forinstance is a major
player in the world’s energymix. It makes up over 23% of the energyconsumed in
the world and it is used to generateover 40% of the world’s electricity.77% of South
Africa’s energy needs are provided by coal while ourcountry is still
experiencing insufficient powersupplydespite the factthe country has the best
kind of coal. Likewise, Bitumen is used for making asphalt concrete for road
surfaces and accounts for approximately 85% of the asphalt consumed in the
United States while we still suffer of good roads irrespective of the abundance
of Bitumen in our Nation. Many and innumerable Gemstones the world requires are
buried beneath our feet but we are swayed by the sweetness of Oil.
Mr. President, We have a future as
Nigerians blessed with the understanding of our endowments-human and natural
resources. We have a hope as a Nation filled with brains and intelligential
that know how these endowments can be harnessed towards a common good for the
poor populace. Most of all, we have a leader that sees beyond, plans ahead, and
makes a stance for the good and prosperity of his citizenry. And we believe
someday, we will be proud not only as Nigerians but as Mining Engineers that
sees the future-Solid Mineral-buried under the crust of our land. We hold on to
the faith that we will soon smile to the World Economic Forum to talk about the
inventions and developments mining has brought to our Nation and not about the
unpredictable oil price. We will advise the United Nationsas regards the unseen
benefit embedded in the Solid Mineral endowment.
Mr. President, we have a hope not
just for ourselves alone but for those we left in school with our present
challenges and worries for their future in this country and most of all for
posterity and the children in our bowels that might take this path of
exploration.
Mr. President we need your
intervention in this abandoned, dying, malnourished and neglected Goose capable
of laying Unlimited Golden Egg.
Thank you while we await your reliable
response.
Yours’ Respectfully,
Mining Engineering Graduate 2013
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