States can’t control minerals, FG declares

The Federal Government of Nigeria on Thursday said governors can’t have the luxury of resource control in their various domains.

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, made the declaration at a gathering of state commissioners for minerals, environment and justice from the North-Central geopolitical zone.

Resource control has become a topical subject in the country recently, following the unveiling of Zamfara State government’s ambition to create a bullion reserve by buying gold from artisanal miners.

Olamilekan said amending the mineral section of the exclusive list in the constitution to enable states to partake in mining would be tantamount to selfishness and could be devastating to Nigeria’s economic system.

He added that the oil revenue contributed by some states in the country is used for development of the whole federation.

The minister told the commissioners that priority is now accorded to the development of the mineral sector for the purpose of income generation, which must be deployed for the common good of the populace.

A statement released in Abuja by Timothy Akpoili, assistant director of press at the Ministry of Mines, noted that royalties and other revenues earned through solid mineral mining were paid into the consolidated account.

According to him, the fund was distributed in conformity with the principle of derivation during monthly revenue allocation exercise.