The leadership of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) and that of the EFCC have pledged to strengthen collaboration to combat economic crimes in mining
The two agencies would do this by promoting transparency, accountability and good governance in Nigeria’s mining sector.
The agreement was reached when Engr Obadiah Simon Nkom, Director-General of the MCO paid a courtesy visit to Mr Michael Wetkas, EFCC Zonal Director ACE 1 last Wednesday.
The visit was aimed at fostering a robust partnership between the two organisations, leveraging their expertise to combat economic and financial crimes in the mining sector.
During the visit, both parties discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas such as intelligence sharing and capacity building.
Nkom, on his part, emphasised the importance of collaboration in ensuring a secure and compliant operating environment for stakeholders.
He said the collaboration aligns with MCO’s efforts to enhance its operations and services, building on its successes in digitising mineral title administration and improving revenue generation.
‘The EFCC plays a critical role in promoting transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s economy, ” he said.
Wetkas expressed his commitment to working closely with MCO to achieve their shared goals, praising MCO’s transparency and accountability.
He also highlighted the significance of the solid minerals ministry, citing Nigeria’s massive mineral deposits. He emphasised EFCC’s readiness to collaborate with MCO to create sanity in the system.
The meeting included a discussion session where critical questions were asked, and clarifications were made. The MCO Director-General answered questions satisfactorily, and the EFCC Zonal Director concretised the collaboration with a gift of publications.
In response, the MCO Director-General presented a plaque and polo short engraved with “Wealth away from oil,” which the EFCC Zonal Director wore in appreciation.
