By Tolu Oguntimehin 

Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr.Oladele Alake has called on manufacturers of mine explosives to combat alleged leakages from their factories by tightening the security and logistics of their operations.

Speaking at an emergency meeting with the manufacturers in his office on Friday in Abuja, Alake said there is popular outcry against the role of the manufacturers in the easy access of unauthorised persons to explosives and indiscriminate storage across the country.

Noting  that the  government is reviewing the system for tracking  the movement of explosives from the manufacturers to  end-users, the Minister urged them to look inwards and fish out  workers who may be responsible for illicit sales or manufacturing of  explosives.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the three licenced manufacturers of explosives - Solar Nigachem Limited, Intrachem Limited and Dynatrac Limited.

Speaking on behalf of the companies, the Chief Executive Officer of Intrachem Limited and chairman of Association of Commercial Explosives Dealers, Barrister Biodun Abu explained that the manufacturers have complied with the regulations of the government in terms of security surveillance of their operations by deploying Close Circuit Television in their factories and coding the explosives for easy tracking of the manufacturer and the company that ordered for them.

In addition, Abu said manufacturers and their clients obtain approvals for escorts to transport their goods to the end-users but are unable to verify incidences of possible leakages when it gets to the clients.

Introducing the manufacturers earlier, the Director, Mines Inspectorate Department in the Ministry of Solid Minerals, Imam Ganiyu said the explosives manufactured in Nigeria are slurry and need detonators to explode.

He said although Nigeria banned the use of dynamite for mining operations in 2007, neighbouring countries such as Cameroon and Mali still use the explosives, adding that such explosives may find its way illegally into Nigeria through the borders.

Others at the meeting were Maureen Tiamiyu, A.Muibi, Recall Hegen Ali, (Solar Nigachem Limited); Chidi Opara, Ohio Musa, ( Dynatrac Limited), Engineer Yomi Aluko, Intrachem Limited, Engr Babajide Alatise, (Tuntise Investment Limited) and Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister, Kehinde Bamigbetan.