Senate Urged To Drop Mine Rangers Bill Over Overlapping Functions

The Coalition of Civil Society Groups on Efficiency in Governance has appealed to the Nigerian Senate to drop the controversial Nigerian Mine Rangers Service (NMRS) Bill (SB 253) over overlap with the functions of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Before now, the coalition had written to Senator Ekong Simon, chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Mineral Development, asking him and the Senate to jettison the bill and focus on empowering the NSCDC through legislation and budgetary allocation.

The group said NSCDC needs support to discharge its mandate of protecting national assets and infrastructure and creating an environment conducive to miners’ effective operation.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the trio of Comrades Igwe Ude-Umanta, convener of Guardians for Democracy and Development; Danesi Momoh, national coordinator of Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative; and Ambassador Solomon Adodo, national coordinator of Rising for a United Nigeria, on behalf of the coalition, described the bill as redundant and unnecessary.

Also, the coalition drew the attention of the Senate to the outcome of the November 7, 2024, public hearing on the bill, adding that the objections from the NSCDC, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Ministry of Interior, and even the Ministry of Solid Mineral Development showed how unpopular the bill was among the stakeholders.

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It described the proposed NMRS as a waste of man-hours and taxpayers’ money.

Also, citing the need to reduce the cost of governance in line with the Stephen Orosanye Report and desist from creating security agencies for all situations in the country, the coalition criticised the Senate for being insensitive to Nigerians’ plight over the huge cost of governance that leaves very little for infrastructural and human development.

“While we appreciate the Senate Committee on Solid Mineral Development in particular and indeed the Senate in general for seeking to improve the mining sector through the establishment of Nigerian Mine Rangers Service (NMRS), it is, unfortunately, an undue, unnecessary and wasteful duplication of the functions, responsibilities and activities of the NSCDC).

“It is, therefore, our patriotic and well-informed position that the Senate should immediately drop the NMRS Bill and rather focus on strengthening the NSCDC and other security agencies to carry out their duties of safeguarding national assets, infrastructure and the nation’s mineral wealth efficiently.

“To buttress the irrelevance of this legislation, there were loud objections to this Bill during the 7th November 2024 Public Hearing from the NSCDC, NIS, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, the Civil Society and other stakeholders. This indicates that the Senate is already working at cross purposes with the Executive as far as this Bill is concerned.

“At a time when Nigerians are angry with Mr President for foot-dragging towards the implementation of the Stephen Orosanye Report, the Senate is contemplating the duplication of agencies and, by extension, an increase in the cost of governance. This is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians anticipating efficiency and the judicious allocation of resources to cushion their worsening economic situation.

“It is counterproductive to create an agency for every security concern in Nigeria. This is why, in February 2024, when the National Economic Council came up with the need for Agro Rangers to provide security for specific agricultural areas, the federal government wisely relied on the NSCDC. So far, the corp has deployed about 10,000 Agro Rangers in key agricultural areas to enhance security for food production. The NSCDC only needs high-tech surveillance tools, not the usurpation of its duties.

“Regardless of the arguments in support of the NMRS Bill, our unwavering conviction is that if empowered and enabled, the NSCDC can perform its constitutional mandate exceptionally and safeguard our natural resources and mines without the need for another security outfit. We, therefore, urge the Senate to do what is needed by throwing the Bill out and focusing on strengthening existing security agencies to carry out their mandates,” they submitted.