The Hon. Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Dr, Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah has called for increased funding for the sector.
Ogah made the call in Abuja recently when the Management Staff of the ministry and its agencies appeared before the House Committee on Steel to defend the 2018 and 2019 Budget expenditure.
According to a statement from the ministry, the Minister also used the opportunity to appeal to the law makers to extend their oversight function to the Ministry of Finance to ensure that appropriated funds are adequately released to his ministry, stressing that activities in minerals and metals sector are capital intensive.
He stated that his ministry has ensured prudent and judicious utilization of the funds appropriated to it within the period under review.
Speaking further, Ogah said the ministry has embarked on deployment of ICT in its operations and those of its agencies such as the Integrated Automation and Interactive Solid Minerals Web Portal, geared towards
ensuring timely and efficient service delivery in a manner that would increase revenue generation.
He expressed immense gratitude to the committee members whom he described as ‘’Partners in progress ‘’ for the appropriate intervention in galvanizing and overseeing the activities of the ministry.
Earlier, the committee Chairman, Hon. Halims Ali Abdullahi disclosed that the essence of the budget defence was for his committee members to interact with the management and staff of the Ministry of Mines and Steel
Development and its agencies, especially in respect of funds being released to them and to be abreast of the Memorandum of Understanding the Ministry signed with the Russian government on the Ajeokuta Steel Company Limited.
Hon. Abdullahi maintained that it was not the intention of the Committee members to witch-hunt anybody while carrying out their oversight functions but to ensure that there was transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.
