In conjunction with a specialized engineering consultancy and human capacity development organisation – Geocardinal Engineering Services Limited, the Council of Mining Engineers and Geoscientists, COMEG has commenced the development of strategies needed to address quackery while deepening professional involvement in geosciences practice in the country.
The collaborating organizations agree that the synergy will lead to the realisation of the potentials of the Nigerian mining and geosciences sector.
The Acting Registrar of COMEG, Mr. Patrick Ojeka who made the disclosure on Friday at a Professional Development Training Program on Effective Oversight Management Function said COMEG will take advantage of the brainstorm sessions at the five-day training program to harness ideas that will be deployed for the development of the sector.
The Registrar, who was represented by the Assistant Director of Finance and Accounts, COMEG, Mr Ogunmola Johnson explained that COMEG is a regulatory authority established to regulate the activities of mining engineers, geoscientists and other professionals in the Nigerian extractive industry.
The registrar noted that “one of the longstanding problems which the training will help to solve, is the development of a realistic approach to the challenge of quackery in the geo-mining and geosciences sector.”
He expressed concern that “increasing number of unqualified and unauthorised people are involved in illegal mining and drilling of rigs,” adding that the Council will make renewed effort to stop the trend.
“This will be stopped because COMEG will now be better equipped with strategies to challenge unprofessional operations in the sector.”
The Registrar assured that the Council will ensure that at least, one COMEG-certified professional is made a part of any drilling team in order to ensure professionalism.
According to him, “there will also be vigorous enforcement drive in this regard.”
The Managing Director, Geocardinal Engineering Service Limited, Engr Jacob Adeyemo who described COMEG as a particularly important regulatory authority in the mining and geosciences sector said it has done well, adding that there is a lot of room for improvement.
“In fact, as the foremost regulatory authority in the mining and geosciences sector, COMEG staff need peculiar training that will strengthen the capacity of the institution to effectively execute its regulatory function,” he said.
He said it was in view of this need that the management of Geocardinal Engineering Service decided to deploy its vastly experienced staff to share knowledge and experience with COMEG in order to strengthen the human resource capacity of the council.
“As an organisation, Geocardinal Engineering Services has been involved in the capacity development of staff who work to ensure that regulatory institutions execute their tasks effectively,” he said.
While saying that the company is a corporate member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN, he added that a substantial number of individual staff of the company are also COREN-registered.
“We are already doing this and we are confident that there will be great improvement in the mining and geosciences sector of the economy, as well as in the area of water engineering.
Engr Adeyemo noted that “since COMEG is mandated to regulate the mining and geosciences sector, staff must be equipped with knowledge and experience needed to execute the task,” adding that the objective of Geocardinal Engineering Services is to ensure that COMEG is equipped with knowledge needed to maximize mandate success.
“In view of this, the management of Geocardinal Engineering Services carefully selected the resource persons who are speaking at the five-day training which ends on Friday,” he said, adding that the least experienced resource person spent over forty years in the industry. He said in addition to that, all resource persons are also fellows of their respective professional bodies.
Discussing the deliverables of the project, Adeyemo said: “The training will share knowledge on how COMEG will embark on successful membership drive,” adding that the Council will also strategize for more effective monitoring and evaluation, stating that is key to realizing the mandate of the council.
“When COMEG begins vigorous enforcement of professional rules, the mining and geosciences sector will improve significantly,” he added.
“The training aims to put in place strategies that will checkmate excesses of quacks in the industry, while ensuring that those who are trained to execute geosciences and geo-mining tasks are brought on bard to do the job or supervise it accordingly.”
He said if professionals exclusively supervise tasks executed in geosciences and geo-mining sector, the impact will be rewarding, adding that it will correctly reposition service delivery in the sector.
