CHAPTER FOUR

IMPACT OF MARBLE MINING COMPANY ON THE ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT OF IGBETI
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE MARBLE MINING IN IGBETI
Marble mining company has been involved in the Igbeti economy for over fifty
years (50years) as an industry engaged in the manufacturing and processing of
marble. Due to the situation of things in the town, ranging from unemployment,
inflation to poor standard of living, the company has been able to provide
employment opportunity to the teeming population of Igbeti and Oyo state as a
whole. Since its inception, the company has been able to employ Igbeti as about
250 workers in various capacities ranging from the lowest level as cleaners,
drivers, clerks to the management staff such as managers and directors. As the
company expands so also its staff straight.1
The job opportunities provided by this company has helped in a way to reduce
poverty on the part of the people, thereby, raising the living standard of some
Igbetian. Most of the company's staff could afford better ways of living and
consumption pattem both for themselves and their dependants because of the
considerably high remuneration. The company also contributes of the cconomic
development of igbeti through its regular payment of taxes, duties and levies. In
the last few years, the company has contributed of it as income tax. The staff of the
company pay taxes as well, ranging from ten percent (10%) of the lower cadre staff
to 40% for upper echelon. This has enabled the government to meet its various
commitmcnt and obligations. This is made possible through the PAY-AS-YOU-
EARN (PAYE) scheme.2
In the area of transfer of technology, the company has sent a number of its staff
abroad for technical training in countries like Indian, Britain. The training enables
them to acquire experience, thus reducing the ratio of expatriates employed by the
company as low as 1%. The company also employed lgbetis in many department
of the company with interest in technical computer and soon. Morcover, the
company encourages made in Nigeria product by domestic efforts, thus supporting
government policy of indigenous local products. The company save the people the
cost and danger of traveling abroad for imported goods by making their good
available in all parts of the country throughout the ycar. The company also engage
in mass production at its products, hence, it enables neighboring countries to
1
Oral interview with Mr. Joseph Ajayi, a Farmer, in Igbeti, on Friday 14th April, 2023.

2
Oral interview with Mr. Joseph Ajayi, a Farmer, in Igbeti, on Friday 14th April, 2023.
patronize its products due to the quality standard of such products. It is also
important to stress that the company has helped to boost the sales of some
companies that deal with packaging materials like nylon bag,paper bag and so on
through its bulk breaking; thus making capital available for these companies for
further production.3
SOCIAL IMPACT OF THE MARBLE MINING IN IGBETI
Marble mining company has helped to reduce drastically the mortality rate. This is
because the company offers various products to people, drugs of different types
which may help in a way to increase the life span of people, cure one form of
illness or the other, like Diabetes Drug for Diabetic patient plaster of Paris (P.O.P)
for accident victims. They also support /sponsor various programmes on health.
The company also made donations of drugs and money to hospitals like General
hospital, thereby helping to cater for the people hospitalized. The company has
made a worthwhile donations of cash and kind to the motherless Babies Homes,
thereby helping to cater for the motherless /orphans.4
In the area art health services, the company in order to reduce the loss of man-
hours from malingering and sick off and providing health services for its worker
has about five different staff clinics located in different area of the state. It should
be noted that apart from paying taxes to the government, the company also pay
(electricity) bill, water rates; thus, enabling these organization to pay the salaries of
its staff as well as providing community services to its (marble) immediate
environment in the arca of clectricity and water supply. In addition, welfare service
like a modern canteen where meals are provided for all categories of staff at a
highly subsidized price is provided for workers in the office premises. Incentive
schemes designed to meet the circumstance of cach individual are implemented
where appropriate and some of these schemes include bonus, promotions salaries
and wages review etc.5
MANPOWER DEVELOPMENT
The company is committed to keeping employees fully informed as much as
possible regarding its performance and progress and seeking their views wherever
practicable on matters which particularly affect them as employees. Moreover, the
groups manpower development programmes has been broadened to create
improved career prospects within the organization. It should be noted that in order
3
Oral interview with Hon Mudasir Adetola, (Politician) on the 14th April, 2023

4
Oral interview with Hon Mudasir Adetola, (Politician) on the 14th April, 2023

5
Oral Interview Conducted with Mr. Jare Adeniyi, at Igbeti Babamogba Compound on Friday 14th April, 2023.
to improve the employee productivity and efficiency, marble mining company
devices training programmes meant to improve the employee dexterity, sharpen his
work skill and make him to be innovative and adaptive to everyday challen ges in
his work place consequently, the company has trained a number of its staff in
different levels: the staff were trained both in overseas and local trained in different
fields.6
In facts in order to improve its management performance system, the company
always holds series of workshop on objective setting techniques for members of
management committee and senior management officials during the first half of
1993. As part of the drive to ensure a healthy work force marble mining company
also runs an in a training for workers. For this reason a training centre was built
within the factory at the Head office. This training (conference) centre caters for
the training needs of all functions and levels of employee on a continuous basis,
and special emphasis is given to induction training and on-the-job training with the
thrust coming superior officers.7
Moreover, due attention is given to industrial safety, training of craft men,
apprentices, artisans, clerical staff, operatives and supervisory training for both
office and factory supervisors on a co-ordinate basis. There is also management
training on a systematic basis for the various levels. Of staff specialist training is
related to the needs of the individuals concerned. This shows that marble mining
company identifies it self with the aspirations of the country as well as the state
and its citizen towards economic and social progress.8
CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS OF MARBLE MINING COMPANY
The blasted rocks are subsequently broken into smaller and sizeable aggregates
which are supposed to be conveyed out of the quarry by the play loader and tipped
into the Dump truck which conveys the consignments to the loading bay or into the
crusher as the case may be. Moreover, in the particular ease of the company, the
only buldozers available is out of order since December on account of bad aid
broken under carriage i.e. sprockers is Rollers etc. The company has not been able
to put it into use this year.9

6
Oral interview with Mrs. Ashamu Grace (Trader) on the 14th April, 2023

7
Oral interview with Hon Mudasir Adetola, (Politician) on the 14th April, 2023

8
Oral interview with Hon Mudasir Adetola, (Politician) on the 14th April, 2023

9
Interview with Mr. Sunday Arao Balogun Formal Secretary of lgbeti Marble Mining Company on Friday 14th April, 2023.
The same goes for the Drilling machine, it was completely out of order between
February and April. Furthermore, in essence, virtually all the company's major
items of equipment (most of which were inherited from IMI) are either old or
definitional or both. The principal ones which constitute a waste pipe for the
company's resources are the bulldozer aid Volvo pay loader. The plant, which is
unassembled till date.One other problem facing the company is that the poor
condition of the 3voksva Herschel generator at lgbeti end. The unavoidable
reliance on NEPA supplies is a serious bane given the irregularity of electric
supply. The advise effect of this is the inability to undertake crushing operations
and, of course, flooding of the quarry.because of inability to dewater through the
electric water pump and the resultant inaccessibility of the lgbeti quarry on this
account.10
Another fundamental problem facing the company presently is the infiltration of
various mining companies into Alaguntan village at the instance of the original
land words (Onigbori of lgbori and his people).The land area containing marble
deposits in Alaquitan incidentally falls within the land area over which the
lkoyi.community had granted the late chief E.O. Ashamu a 50 yearleasehold with
effect from Dec.1971. Chief Ashamu's title on the land formed part of the assets he
begreathed, on NMMC and upon which compositions were computed in this
favour. The support or the Area Mines officer Engr. Lawal forthis activities of the
"encroachers" and the customary court judgment surreptitiously obtained in their
favour by the Origbori and his cohorts declaring them as the title holders on the
land has compounded issues. Over the one year the company has spent a fortune on
this issue by resorting to litigation sensitizing the state Government to perfect the
acquisition of the land area in the company favour, securing the services of the
state security agencies for surveillance of the area and eventual movement of the
company's mining Alaguntan is August 1997. All equipment and operations these
have had their financial toll(s) on the company.11
For instance the company's solicitor worked at getting the customary court
judgement quashed at the Ogbomosho high court. The matter came up for hearing
on Thursday 28th may 1998. Another related matter filled on the company's behalf
at the federal high court, Ibadan has been withdrawn. In the meantime, a legion of
private Mining companies have resumed operations at Alaguntan with an attendant
adverse effect on the company's fortunes. There is also the problem at worker's low
productivity:-The apathetic disposition of the company's quarry worker's who
staffed salary earners and who deem the company's Work as a civil service
10
Interview with Mr. Sunday Arao Balogun Formal Secretary of lgbeti Marble Mining Company on Friday 14th April, 2023.

11
Interview with Mr. Sunday Arao Balogun Formal Secretary of lgbeti Marble Mining Company on Friday 14th April, 2023.
venture, is another serious drawback for the company's operation. The company
had over the year been paying unproductive salaries since the quarry output has
always been less then commensurate with the investments on production. The
corollary of this is the resultant cash flow problem with has made it virtualy
impossible to support the previous work force. Some of the workers have opted out
because of non-payment of salaries since February 1998, the management is
however presently working in an experiment with some contrite-producers in
Alaguntan which, started around mid-may. The Success or otherwise at this
experiment will determine the fate at the existing quarry workers.12
Since its inception and considering the problem faced by Marble Mining, the
company has been surviving: the secret of the company's continued survival and
growth in the face of the harsh political upheavals and the accompanying,
economic down-turn in the country since the eighties has been the foreight and
good strategic plans of the management. The company's product profile include
high quality accompanying, economic down-turn in the country since the eighties
has been the foreight and good strategic plans of the management. The company's
product profile include high quality which it produces fromn the company lgbeti as
well as some imported goods. The products enjoy good patronage of the consumer
because of the outstand comparative high quality and this helped the company a
great deal in its survival and growth strategies in the past. The company also
markets and sell its products in Nigeria through distributors and wholesalers
nationwide. The emerging markets and consumer tastes both within and outside the
country are coming sophisticated and demanding, the company is aware of this
challenge.13
The company therefore maintains a good policy of continuous research and
development to ensure that it keeps up and meet the challenge of modern times
through the maintenance and sustenance of high quality products in order to
continue to retain the patronage of its teeming consumers nationwide. The
management's desires to succeed in spite at the unencouraging business climate
remain storing. It should be noted that the operating environment if anything is
expected to be more challenging in the future. To this end, the Board has put in
place a number of measures that will effective re- position the company in orders
to surmount these challenges and uncertainties. This will enable the company to
continue rendering satisfactory returns on investments. Finally, the company will

12
Interview with Mr. Sunday Arao Balogun Formal Secretary of lgbeti Marble Mining Company on Friday 14th April, 2023.

13
Interview with Mr. Sunday Arao Balogun Formal Secretary of lgbeti Marble Mining Company on Friday 14th April, 2023.
continue to whether the storm created by unfavorable operating environment and
adapt as much as possible awards improving its earning in the coming years.14

14
Interview with Mr. Sunday Arao Balogun Formal Secretary of lgbeti Marble Mining Company on Friday 14th April, 2023.
 CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Summary
This essay has attempted to examine the role of Marble Mining industries on the
economic development of lgbeti. Thus, it has examined the general overview of in
lgbeti, her background, the industrial development in lgbeti up to 1969 and the
emergence of indigenous economic activities and multinational corporations.
Moreover, the growth and development at Marble Mining Company was also
analyzed; that show how the company was nationalized. The line of products of the
company was thoroughly dealt with as well as the organizational structure and the
function at the various officers of the company including the purpose and
objectives at the company as well as the marketing system of the company.
This work has endeavored to look at the impact at the company's operation on the
socio-economic development at lgbeti and Nigeria as a whole. Moreover, the
company has contributed economically by providing employment opportunities to
Igbetian, taxpaying, transfer at technology and encouragement of made in Nigeria
goods. The company has also contributed to the socio development of lgbeti and
Oyo state as a whole by reducing the mnortality rate, health services, provision
social amenities, catering for the Orphans and so on; as well training lgbeti's in
managerial and technical skills. This in its own little way has led to the industrial
development of the country as well as the introduction of various products of the
company into the Nigerian market.
Conclusion
In conclusion, though marble mining company had contribute greatly to the
development of Igbeti, the company create employment, opportunities for both
indigene and non indigene and equally gas made the town to stand out from its
peers in the region, government should however put measures into place to
improve the input system in the company and a lasting solution to the problems
bedeviled the organization, there should be check and balance, to curb indulgence
and every form of laziness among staffs.