WIMIN Inaugurates Abuja Caretaker C’ttee
By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Women in Mining in Nigeria (WIMIN) has inaugurated its Caretaker Committee (CTC) for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Inaugurating the 6-man committee headed by Dr Comfort Asokoro-Ogaji at the WIMIN headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, the President and founder, Honourable Janet Adeyemi, charged members to imbibe the spirit of selfless service and be focused, resilient, and accommodative in the discharge of the coordinatory duty, hinting that the women-folk in the sector is a mixed grill of illiterate, semi-literate, and literate ones.
Stating that mining is a multidisciplinary sector with diverse opportunities, Adeyemi urged that for women in mining to succeed, they must pick on a specific one out of the wide range of businesses to focus on instead of being jack of all trades, master of none, stressing that must also work together as team.
“So my charge to you today is, as you’ve set off, there is so much to do in the field. It’s a very wide multidisciplinary sector; if it’s gemstones you want to go into, you cannot be on all the gemstones; you must pick one gemstone and be known by it.
“But when you want to be everywhere in the wide sector, you cannot make it, because you would tear yourself into pieces. Is it that you want to be a processor or an advocate?, focus on that; you must identify what you you want to do,” she advised.
In a brief acceptance speech on behalf of the members of the commitee, Dr Asokoro-Ogaji, said they will do their best to ensure that they meet mandate and the expectations of the WIMIN, and to even surpass it.
“We’ll do our best to add to the value that you’ve already added. Well key into to the vision of WIMIN. We’ll do our best to see that in line with the scope of what you’ve given us we implement them and exceed your expectation by the special grace of God,” she said.
Speaking in an interview shortly after inauguration of the FCT Chapter, Dr Asokoro-Ogaji, who just became appointed the Coordinator, FCT chapter of WIMIN, hailed the rich solid minerals endowment of the FCT, listing such minerals to include: Gold, Cassiterite, Dolomite, Lead/Zinc, Marble & Tantalite.
She commended the FCTA for establishing the Department of Solid Minerals and Allied Matters, describing it as a welcome development that would facilitate the development of solid mineral resources while creating wealth and jobs for Nigerians.
“We as women will contribute our part and work with the department to ensure that Mining activities in the FCT are properly coordinated for improved Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and most importantly to boost the socio-economic activities in the territory targeting women and youths,” she said.
On how she would high the ground running, she highlighted a few actions to be taken including, setting up of administrative structures for the abuja chapter; setting standards for efficient and effective delivery of the mandate of WIMIN working with the President of WIM and the Abuja chapter team members to achieve this.
While assuring that they would soon roll out training programmes, she said they would reach out to the unreached women in the nooks and crannies of the FCT ( Abaji, Kuje, Gwagwalada, AMAC, Kwali Bwari) working under hash conditions in the mining sector and create means of improving such conditions, while embarking on stakeholders engagement among others.
