THE Ministry of Solid Minerals Development (MSMD) has said that the reappointment of Fatima Shinkafi as Executive Secretary of the Solid Minerals Development Fund followed due processes.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu reappointed Shinkafi as the Executive Secretary of the SMDF.
Her reappointment was confirmed in a statement by the Asst. Director of Information & Public Relations, Ekwugha Chinwe in a statement.
Her reappointment, however, met with criticisms with pundits arguing that she was meant to serve just one term.
She has been serving as the Executive Secretary of SMDF since May 24, 2017, and her second term was renewed in 2021 for another four years.
Replying critics, the ministry in a statement on Sunday said her reappointment aligned with the provisions guiding the establishment of the agency.
The ministry asserted that no part of the SMDF act specifies a term limit for Chief Executive Officers of the agency.
“Our attention has been drawn to misinformation making the rounds in some quarters on the reappointment of Hajia Fatima Shinkafi as the Executive Secretary of SMDF, as approved by the President. The approval, done weeks ago, followed due process and aligns with the extant laws governing the agency, as well as the Nigeria Minerals And Mining Act (NMMA) 2007,”.
“Section 35(2) of the NMMA 2007 stipulates that the Executive Secretary shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Minister of Solid Minerals Development. No provisions on tenure limit exist in the act governing the agency. The act does not stipulate term limit for the chief executive. Therefore, her reappointment by the president is in order and does not contravene any law. ”
“SMDF under her stewardship has been reorganized for capital mobilization, leading de-risking of investment tools for the mining sector and enabling targeted exploration to fast track mine development amongst others. Hence, her pivotal role in our efforts to reposition the mining sector is invaluable, “the ministry asserted.
The ministry assured mining stakeholders that it will continue to support the agency, expand access to lines of credit, and lead the charge to strengthen partnerships that will unlock financing to drive economic growth, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of making solid minerals a significant contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
