The Executive Governor of Niger State and Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, Abubakar Sani Bello, has stated that building a strong synergy between the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and the state governments will address a lot of irregularities in the mining sector.
The Governor who stated this when he received the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah at the Government House, Minna, stressed that positive results will be achieved when proper synergy is created between the two.In a statement issued by the Press and Public Relations directorate of federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development in Abuja, Governor Bello explained that a control mechanism must be put in place to check mining activities as both the ministry and the state governments are being short-changed by the miners especially in payment of the royalty and Value Added Tax (VAT).
He therefore advocated the need for the federal government to set up a strong task force to address the challenges associated with mining activities in the country.
He maintained that the mining sector is supposed to generate more than the oil sector hence the need to get it well positioned adding that as the chairman of the North-Central Governors Forum he will present the idea in their next meeting for the Governors to key into the idea of working closely with the ministry noting that the zone is regarded as the centre of mineral resources.
Bello expressed worry over how the mining sites have been turned to a den of security actvities,becoming a major threat to communities which he said his administration will not hesitate to shut down.
According to him, “Even as it stands, for now, I am poised to close down more sites if identified as one used for criminal activities”
The Governor implored the ministry to always collaborate with the state governments while issuing certificates to miners and also let them know the mining locations as some mining sites put the lives of people and communities in danger.
Speaking earlier, The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah Samson, said they were in the state to interface with the mining team.
Dr. Ogah said expressed the Ministry’s readiness to synergise with the State governments so as to scale up the activities of the ministry.
He explained that state governments are entitled to 13 per cent derivation from royalties and Value Added Tax explaining that if the mining sector is not developed, nothing would be achieved.
He noted that Niger State has a lot of solid minerals yet the impact has not been felt due to the nature of the mining activities taking place at the sites.
The minister noted that the miners need the protection of the State governors through security provision, adding that the ministry cannot get an optimal result without the state governors’ input and emphasised the need for them to work closely with the state and local governments, even though mining is on the exclusive list.
The minister said only the federal government has the power to give license to any miner to operate, developing the sector will lead to many activities in the state as well as create job opportunities for the teeming youths.
