Report Under-aged, Illegal Miners to Security Agencies, Minister Charges Operators

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

Worried by the rising spate of under-aged and illegal miners’ activities in the country, the Minister of State, Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has charged operators to as a matter of priority, report the use of under-aged miners in the sector to security agencies.

Ogah, who condemned in very strong terms the activities of some operators, urged stakeholders to henceforth report anyone found guilty to appropriate authorities.

The minister who was on a three-day working visit to Edo State, disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on Governor Godwin Obaseki
He stressed the government’s policy focus and enjoined the operators to make an honest declaration of their monthly mineral production and pay the correct amount of royalties due to the federal government.
The minister also encouraged operators to always keep close contact with the Federal Mines Officers in the state and seek clarification on any matter they were not clear about.

According to him, the enormous and abundant mineral resources spread across every part of the country, especially in Edo State, has the potential to transform the nation’s economy, develop infrastructure and grow the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria.

While soliciting the support and cooperation of the state government in accelerating the development of the huge commercial deposits of major minerals like Limestone, Talc, Dolomite, Gypsum, Feldspar, Quartz, Gold, Gemstones, Bentonite, Bitumen, Sharp Sand, Kaolin, Granite and other solid mineral resources in abundance in the state, the minister noted that the state could rank as number two mining state in the country if its minerals are properly harnessed.

The minister further disclosed that the purpose of the working visit was critical and strategic in the development of the solid mineral sector as Edo State has many untapped minerals which, when galvanised it will achieve its “30-year Development Roadmap” in the areas of “Human Capital Development and the vision of Edo State outside oil revenues; educational transformation through Edo – BEST and Health Improvement Programme; improved service delivery systems, tax and revenue collection reforms and economic transformation initiatives through modern agriculture and industrialisation of the state.”

He noted that the present level of mining operations in the state could be doubled through mutual collaboration and cooperation between the federal, state, local governments and mining investors in the state.

The minister, therefore, urged the governor to ensure that the new partnership between his ministry and Edo State Government is sustained to promote sustainable development of mineral resources in the state, adding “the collaboration would increase revenue generation, promote sustainable growth of the minerals sector, create employment opportunities for nation’s teeming unemployed youths as well as provide economic empowerment for host mining communities, which would lead to reduction in poverty level of rural communities.”

In his remarks, Governor Obaseki stated that the visit couldn’t have come at a better time as the state is fully committed towards diversification.

He said: “Edo is a blessed naturally endowed state and we have taken our destiny in our hands to diversify, focusing on solid minerals.”

The governor assured of the state’s readiness to collaborate on the development of the mineral sector in the state and implored that Edo State be used as a model for federal government’s collaboration and coordination bid for the optimisation of revenue generation in the sector, adding that “Edo is willing to start afresh to get it right.”