By Vivian Emoni

The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to come up with an agenda on mineral resources for efficient mining activities across the country.

The President of MAN, Mr Dele Ayanleke, said this in Abuja at a news conference on the issue of state government’s interference in mining activities.

Ayanleke said that so many legacy challenging the issue of state governments usurping the functions of constitutionally recognised mining industry regulators started gaining momentum of recent.

According to him, MAN will like to make a clarion call to the government on the need to come up with the agenda of its administration on solid minerals sector.

“On our part as a body of investors and operators, we shall reach out to the new administration soon with a blueprint of our contributions to a mining regime that will support the economic diversification agenda in pragmatic terms,” he said.

The president said that MAN, as the umbrella body of operators and investors in the sector, had never been in support of illegal mining operations under any guise.

He said that the association was ready to partner with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and other relevant stakeholders to ensure a sanitised mining environment.

He expressed concern that some newly elected governors have started issuing executive orders, either banning mining activities or attempting to regulate the sector.

According to him, some of such states are Ebonyi, Osun, Enugu, Cross River, Taraba among others.

“Taraba state government went as far as setting up a Task Force on illegal mining and deforestation with full authority to arrest, summarily prosecute and sentence anyone found culpable under its own laws.

“We are of the belief and conviction that the issue of illegality in the system must be appraised and confronted in whole.

“A situation where a group of stakeholders is being stigmatised as the perpetrators of illegality by the holders of coercive machinery of state, is totally unacceptable.

“Drawing from the above, Taraba State Government or any other state and local governments for that matter, does not have the competence to determine the legality of any operator.

“Such competence resides with the ministry or any of its agencies saddled with the various regulatory functions,” he said.

Ayanleke said that in section 44(3) of the 1999 constitution, as amended and section 1(1) of the mining Act 2007, placed the ownership of mineral resources and mining regulations in Exclusive Legislative List.

He said the constitution was made to address the socioeconomic and environmental concerns of the lower tiers of government.

“The Federal Government through its appropriate agencies is saddled with the oversight responsibility on any mining and minerals related issues including, but not limited to mining titles administration.

“It is on this note that we hereby appeal to the Federal Government to call state governments to order by honoring their oath to defend and uphold the constitution of the nation.

“This is to engender an atmosphere of mining best practices so that local investors can contribute their quotas to the economic development of the country and open windows for foreign investments,” he said.

The MAN president said that the importance of the meeting was not to vilify or wage war against any state government.

He said that part of the association’s advocacy was to draw attention to a critical governance impediment militating against the solid minerals sector as a veritable option in the government economic diversification agenda.

“According to him, at a time when the whole world is thinking, talking and going green energy, our huge endowments in minerals needed to be among global actors.

“Nigeria cannot afford to help other nations develop their industries through mass exportation of our unprocessed solid minerals, while our citizens wallow in poverty.

“It is time our government takes a cue from the initiative of our founding fathers.

“Our founding fathers invented technologies that turned our agricultural resources into huge industrial development with attendant wealth creation in the post-independence First Republic. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Vincent Obi

By Vivian Emoni

The Federal Government on Thursday, warned against illegal mining activities and urged for strong collaboration with relevant stakeholders for sustainable development across the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, gave the warning while Inuagurating new National Executive Council of the Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) in Abuja.

Ogbe also expressed concerned over local industries which depend on imported minerals, as their raw materials, despite availability of such minerals in the country.

She said that some minerals were exported raw to Asian and European countries at ridiculous prices without value, adding that such practice has added to the unemployment rate in the country.

She said that such practice has also hindered sustainable development and constituted loss of revenue in the country.

According to her, “I seize this opportunity to draw your attention to disheartening practices of some members of your association who interfere with the mandates of the ministry.

“Some of your members prefer to indulge in illegal mining activities, instead of being partners in progress to develop the sector.

“This attitude has hindered the sustainable development of the sector and constituted huge revenue losses.

“I urge the leadership of your association to advise its members to shun illegal mining activities.

“Your members should always collaborate with the ministry to ensure that activities are carried out in line with the provisions of the laws regulating the sector,” she said.

Ogbe was represented by Mr Okhuoya Sunday, Deputy Director, Mines Inspectorate of the ministry.

The Chairman, Board of Trustee (BOT), Alhaji Sani Shehu, earlier called on governments of all levels to work with MAN to enable Nigeria achieve the objectives of the sector.

Shehu said that some mining industries were seriously engaged in illegal mining, adding that government’s support would help to curb the menace.

He also called on MAN to support the government for effective sensitisation on mining activities to artisenal miners to ensure that their operation is covered.

According to him, artisanal miners can form a small-scale cooperative license so that they can operate legally and enhance the activities.

The chairman urged the new electorate to behave well and vote the candidates of their choice.

He, therefore, dissolved the existing executive council and called for immediate replacement of the structure through the election that took place respectively.

The Chief Superintendent, Import and Export Unit, Tariff and Trade Department, Nigeria Customs Service, Mrs Chibuzo Oguche, said that the service was ready to collaborate with MAN.

Oguche said that the collaboration would enable the service track those miners that engage in illegal activities across the country.

“We are looking forward to a good synergy between MAN and customs because by the time we get to the database of registered miners, we will be able to track those illegal miners.”

The newly elected President, Mr Dele Ayanleke, thanked the association for the opportunity given to them, adding that the new members would not take the gesture for granted.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association inaugurated a new eight-man member of the MAN and dissolved the old executives who had served for four years. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Abdulfatai Beki/Vincent Obi

By Vivian Emoni

The Federal Government, on Monday, reiterated its commitment to collaborating with state governments to ensure elimination of illegal mining activities across the country.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, stated this when the Governor of Taraba, Dr Agbu Kefas, visited the ministry in Abuja.

Ogbe said there was the need for the collaboration between the ministry and Taraba government to curtail incidences of illegal mining in the state.

She said that the illegal activities had become an endemic economic crime, causing hemorrhage to government’s revenue.

The permanent secretary, who was represented by the Director, Human Resources Department, Alhaji Suleiman Kabir, said that the ministry alone could not combat the menace of the mining activities.

According to her, robust dialogue between the ministry and Taraba government will enhance and sustain the efforts at eliminating the activities of illegal miners within the ambit of the law.

Ogbe commended the move by state governments to prevent breakdown of law and order, occasioned by illegal mining.

She also commended the proactive security measures already taken by Taraba government, adding that the governor should lend necessary assistance to legal miners in the state to engender investors’ confidence.

Responding, the governor, who condemned the activities of illegal miners in his state, said it had caused communal clashes and serious environmental degradation.

Kefas urged the ministry to open a corridor of communication and effective collaboration with the state government.

He said that such collaboration would process and authenticate the licences issued by the ministry to investors as well as other documentations for exploration of mineral resources.

He said that the efforts would also help in curbing and eliminating illegal mining activities across the country.

According to him, the measure will create an enabling environment for attracting genuine investors into the state in order to achieve the much-desired socio-economic transformation of the country. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Dorcas Jonah and ‘Wale Sadeeq