BY Bunmi Aduloju
Dele Alake, minister of solid minerals development, has described the minister of information and national orientation, Mohammed Idris, as a worthy partner in making solid minerals a major contributor to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).
According to a statement by Segun Tomori, special assistant (media) to the minister of solid minerals development, Alake spoke while receiving Idris in his office on Thursday.
Alake recalled the role of his information counterpart in the struggle for the enthronement of the current administration, describing him as a formidable ally in conceptualising media and communications strategies during and after the campaigns.
“We have come a long way, and I am very happy that he is the one piloting the information apparatchik of this government. I personally have full confidence in his ability and capacity to achieve the stated objectives of the government,” he said.
“So, it is an honour for me today to welcome him to this critical metals’ ministry – an epithet he gave to the ministry.”
Alake expressed gratitude to Idris for his collaboration and emphasised the Tinubu administration’s commitment to establishing an efficient governance structure as a benchmark for successive administrations.
He said: “In every area of government, we want to leave a solid mark, and the honourable minister of information has been the one championing this amongst us – his colleagues.”
“With his visit, he has shed light and put solid minerals in the public glare. It is to our mutual advantage. We are elated that we have your cooperation in assisting the solid minerals sector to meet its stated objective of contributing significantly to the GDP of Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the information minister expressed satisfaction with the visibility brought to the mining sector by Alake, asserting that since his assumption of office, there has been a renewed, global interest in the sector.
“I have come to respect Alake’s intellect, focus, determination, and dexterity. He is willing to pitch for things that appear even impossible, and you can see that in the way he has handled the ministry of solid minerals. This ministry has been there,” he said.
“It is not a new ministry. It is one of the oldest ministries around, but not many people know about it. Since he came here, he has managed to put solid minerals on the front burner to the extent that people are becoming extremely envious of this ministry because of the work he has done. It is not a mistake that the president brought him here. He knows he can turn things around.”
In addition, the information minister pledged his commitment to working with the solid minerals ministry to project ongoing reforms and draw Nigerians’ attention to what he described as a critical sector.
He said achieving President Bola Tinubu’s vision of diversifying the economy through a revamped mining sector remains a unifying factor that binds both ministries together.
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