The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Tuesday urged the Federal Government not to allow states to have sole control of solid minerals in their domain.
Alhaji Sani Shehu, the National President of the association, said in Lagos that absolute control of the resource by states would create unhealthy rivalry.
He said that the agitation for state control for solid minerals would lead to doom in the sector, stressing that it would also attract foreign interest and create confusion.
“In some years back, there was near clash between Kogi and Anambra states over the discovery of solid minerals in Kogi state.
“The movement of solid mineral is not limited to a particular state and this can lead to border clashes among states, thereby could degenerate to doom in the sector.
“So it is important for the sector to remain under the watch of the Federal Government,” he said.
Shehu, however, urged the government to pay more attention to the small scale miners, describing them as important players in the mining industry.
The president noted that the recent increase in the processing and fees by the Mining Cadastre Office was negation of the formalisation principle of government.
He commended the current administration for inclusion of the mining sector for economic diversification, adding that the sector needed an enabling environment for investment.
“I belief that in the one year of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the mining sector had been re-energised and it is on the right track.
“The political will to drive the mining sector has indeed been established but it has to be sustained.
“I am appealing to the government to increase its funding for the mining sector and should resist the pressure for states to control solid minerals,” he said.
