The House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, Wednesday, asked the Chairman of the Nigeria’s Governors’ Forum (NGF), Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to prevail on state governors to stop issuing executive orders regarding mining activities in their respective states.
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals, Hon. Gaza Jonathan Ife, stated this while speaking at the closing of 5th meeting of National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development (NCMMRD) held in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
Themed, ‘Mineral and Metals: Panacea for Economic Growth and Diversity’, the Rep said executive orders being issued by state governors regarding mining activities is sending wrong signals to investors.
He argued further that such action of the governors suggests that they are working in Isolation with federal government and at variance with the constitution of Nigeria.
Ife said instead of issuing executive orders, governors should leverage on the Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO) to strengthen mining activities in their respective states.
He said already, the House Committee since inauguration had initiated two bills that would strengthen mining activities which he said had passed second reading.
“Basically, when you look at the Mirian Mine Act 007, there is a committee called MIREMCO (Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee), MIREMCO, the MIREMCO gave the perfect opportunity for governors to have an active input in the running of solids minerals activities within the state. So instead of giving executive orders, strengthen MIREMCO where the governor is at leverage to appoint the chairman of that committee and the federal mine officer is a member of the committee.
“So when you have that committee, even if you want to give out a new order, MIREMCO should give it so that there is a full synergy and backing of the federal government along with the state. It’s not for the state to operate in isolation because it affects investors’ confidence and in truth, it’s at variance with the constitution, though it’s a subject for further interpretation.
“Yes, I know they (governors) come from the angle of security and other things but just as I have said, if they can do it in synergy with MIREMCO, I think it will be better for the industry,” he told journalists on the sideline of the meeting.
Earlier in his key note address, Minister of State for Steel Development, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, challenged stakeholders in the Nigerian mining sector to “embrace modern technology and leverage on artificial intelligence to catchup with the development in the fast growing industry.
Kwara state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, said the state government had recently registered five (5) Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) as part of its measures to acquire viable mining sites and make the state a major producer of solid minerals in Nigeria.
