As part of steps to wrap up the first tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration was the directive to Ministers to submit the reports of their activities to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on 24th April 2019 while the official hand over of leadership of the Ministries to Permanent Secretaries/Valedictory speeches took place on 28th May, 2019.
Sequel to the handover of leadership of the ministry to the Permanent Secretary, the Management and Staff of MMSD recalling the priceless contributions of the former Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon Bawa Bwari which have brought the mining and Steel Sector from lowliness to greatness, organized a parting ‘Get together’ in honour of the out-going Minister on Monday 10th June, 2019 in Abuja.
The Permanent Secretary, MMSD, Dr. Abdulkadir Mu’azu in his opening remark said that what overwhelms him about the qualities of Bwari is that he is a man endowed with humility, sincerity and simplicity of life style; adding that he is an epitome of practical leadership.
In his words: “The entire management and staff of the ministry are not only wishing you to be re-appointed as minister but as substantive Minister of Mines and Steel Development.” According to him, this will enable him to complete the great work he has started in the ministry.
Dr. Mu’azu extolled the achievements of the former Minister and his former colleague, Dr. Kayode Fayemi who is now the Governor of Ekiti State which among others included the Roadmap for the Growth and Development od the Mining Industry to help in re-positioning Nigeria in its right place on the Global Mining Map.
Mu’azu assured the former Minister that owing to the standards he has set which posterity would hold high and proud of, both the ministry, its agencies and stakeholders cannot go below the benchmark set.
In his goodwill message on behalf of the Directors of the ministry, the Director, Artisanal Small Scale Mining (ASM), Patrick Ojeka said that Bwari’s leadership quality is second to none. According to him the harmonious relationship between the former Minister and the work force of the ministry cannot be quantified. The foreign trips you made to woo investors and your role in eradicating Lead poison in Nigeria will have their pride of place in the annals of history.
Similarly, The former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon.Ghali Umar Na’Abba, the Director General, Mining Cadastral Office, Engr. Simon Nkom,the Representative of Miners Association of Nigeria(MAN), the President Women in Mining, Hon Janet Adeyemi and a host of others affirmed that the minister possess more enviable virtues than the ones mentioned.
Bawa Bwari while responding to the numerous remarks made in his honour, recounted how Dr. Kayode Fayemi and himself met MMSD in 2015. He pointed out that the ministry was in a ‘coma’ and they had to strategies with the stakeholders on the best ways to resuscitate the sector. He said that with right policies and doggedness, the ministry has reached an enviable stage. The Mining sector has attracted not only foreign investors but women who are now actively involved in mining activities.
Bwari challenged the management and staff of MMSD to take advantage of the Mining and Steel Road Map to take the sector to the next level. He thanked the ministry, its agencies and all stake holders for according him with such memorable gestures. He assured them of his readiness to offer advises to the ministry if the need arises considering the indelible relationship that has existed been established.