- Plans Retreat with States to Strengthen Sector
From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, has reiterated that governors do not have constitutional powers over mining activities in their states. He made this statement while receiving Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Rada in his office yesterday.
The Minister urged states to always seek the approval of the federal government before making policy pronouncements on mining activities. He emphasized that states should notify the federal government if they observe any operator violating regulations, and the federal government would then provide its approval for the state to take action.
“If a state notices that an operator is conducting his operations against laid down procedures or regulations, we must be notified. Once we are notified, even if the state wants to take action, we give them our blessing,” Alake added.
He announced plans for a crucial retreat to address grey areas in the relationship between the federal government and states regarding the management of challenges in the mining industry. The Minister initiated talks on the retreat with the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State.
Governor Rada lauded the Minister’s efforts to reposition the mining sector and expressed the state’s readiness to partner with the federal government to harness its mineral resources for the benefit of the state and the nation. He also sought the federal government’s assistance in tackling insecurity in some parts of the state, emphasizing that poverty, injustice, and illegal mining are major factors fueling the menace.
Governor Rada urged the Minister to revoke the licenses of operators who refuse to develop or commence projects and investigate instances of operators parading dubious letters of consent from host communities.
In response, Dr Alake stated that the recently inaugurated Mining Marshals would curb the activities of illegal miners in the state. He noted that with the revised guidelines for Community Development Agreements (CDA), letters of consent from host communities are now mandatory before applying for mining licenses.
Dr Alake further stated that with Governors nominating the chairman and five out of ten members of their state’s Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO), sub-nationals can play pivotal roles in regulating the activities of mining operators in collaboration with the federal government.
“When the composition of members of MIREMCO is largely nominated by the Governors, then the states can use that agency to monitor the activities of miners and also be able to influence their operations in the state,” he said.
The Minister urged Katsina to take a cue from other states that have applied for mining licenses to operate as a limited liability company, assuring the governor of expeditious approval.