Constitution preventing states from exploring minerals - Ahmed

Date: 2017-07-10

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has said Nigeria's constitution is an impediment to state governments in Nigeria to mine and explore mineral deposits in their respective states.

He stated that this development had inhibited the states from increasing their internally-generated revenue and creating employment opportunities through the development and harnessing of solid minerals in their areas.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Alhaji Musa Yeketi, spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, during the installation of Prof. Silas Dada as the 29th President of the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society on Sunday.

He explained that Section 44 (3) of the 1999 Constitution vested the Federal Government with the ownership and control of all minerals, oils and natural gas in Nigeria.

He added that the Second Schedule, Part 1, Item 39 of the Exclusive List in the 1999 Constitution restricted state governments from developing their respective mining potential.

Ahmed said, "The availability of solid minerals in Nigeria presents state governments with the opportunity to increase their internally-generated revenue for themselves, reduce dependence on FG's (revenue) allocation and create employment for our teeming youth population. However, the constitution appears to hobble this possibility.

"This creates a situation whereby states have limited authority over mining activities in their domain and are often required to purchase expensive licences from the Federal Government with no guarantee of returns or successful exploitation of mineral resources."

But Dada said the FG was now willing to encourage active participation of state governments in exploration and mining activities if the state governments were willing.

He said, "Nothing stops any state in Nigeria now from forming a private company, joining with that private company and mining.

"The problem we have in the state is because government is at the back of it, accountability is an issue. But if you do it like a business, you allow the private sector to do it as business and make profit, then there will not be a problem."

Dada said Nigeria's abundant natural resources should not be a curse to the nation. He stated that though Nigeria had a large deposit of oil, if properly managed, solid mineral resources-driven development is the best growth opportunity for the country.

He urged the Federal Government to get the Natural Resources Management policy chain right.

He stated that the NRM policy chain should be adequately developed by setting up strong policies in every area of income generation and investment.

Source

 

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Kale Belgore     Aliyu Sabi     Kola Shittu     Olaitan Buraimoh     Bayo Onimago     Chief Imam Of Offa     Veterinary Teaching Hospital     Agboola Babatunde     Binta Abubakar-Mora     Kwara State Council Of Chiefs     Ridhwanullah Al-Ilory     Kayode Laro     Yahaya Seriki     Adijat Adebiyi     Taibat Ayinke Ahmed     Rebecca Olanrewaju     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Abdulfatai Ahmed     Alimi Abdulrazaq     Fatima Abolore Jimoh     Alabi Lawal     UNIFEMGA     Titus Suberu-Ajibola     Diagnostic Centre     Elections     Akande Idowu Ayoola Muhammed     Rafiu Ibrahim     Bilikisu Oniyangi     Sobi Specialist Hospital     KWASEIC     Idofin     SWAN     Okedare     Aliyu Kora Sabi     Ayinde Oki     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Makama Of Ilorin     AbdulGaniyu Kareem     Musa Ayinla Yeketi     Offa Grammer School     Kwara State Government     Kwara State Fish Farmers Association     Sadiq Umar     Michael Nzekwe     Ademola Kiyesola     Idris Amosa Oladipo Saidu     Ajayi Okasanmi     BECE     Yakubu Dogara     Olokoba     Isiaka Alikinla     KWASIEC     Saudat Abdulbaqi     Tinubu Legacy Forum     Binta Abubakar Mora     Tosin Saraki     Ali Ahmad     IESA     Abdullahi G. Mohammad     Ronke Adeyemi     Association Of Kwara State Online Media Practitioners     Mohammed Danjuma     Musa Alhassan Buge     Towobola Abdulrahman Toyin     Aisha Ahman-Pategi     Sherif Sagaya     Abdulkadir Jimoh     Kwara Volleyball Association     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     Adamu Ibrahim Sabi     Kwara State Pension Board     Shehu Alimi Foundation     Salaudeen Oyewale     Wole Oke     Shuaib Jawondo     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     Patigi Regatta    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Bolaji Aladie     Monthly Sanitation     Sulyman Atolagbe Alege     Abdulquawiy Olododo     GANZY     Kale Ayo     Sheikh Ridhwanullah El-ilory     Abdulfatai Baakini     Ijagbo     Kawu Baraje     Idris Garba     Kwara Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board     Moses Rahman Popoola     Abdulrazaq Solihudeen     Suraj Tunji Oyewale     Oko-Erin     Elekoyangan     Nigeria Foundation For Artificial Intelligence     Sa\'adatu Modibbo-Kawu     Mohammed Khadijat Kubura     Abdulraheem Olesin     Salihu S. Yaru     Matthew Okedare     Oja-Oba     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Adebara     Adamu Atta     MAI Akande     Share-Tsaragi     Balogun Ajikobi     Olaitan Buraimoh     Tsaragi-Share     Grillo     Frootify     AbdulRasaq Abdulmajeed Alaro     Umar Adelodun     GGDSS Pakata     Niyi Osundare     2017 Budget     Bilikisu Oniyangi     Samuel Adaramola     KwaraLearn     Rex Olawoye     Yusuf Amuda Aluko     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Egbejila     National Party Of Nigeria     Modupe Oluwole     Apado     Garment Factory     Mustapha AbdulGaniyu     Oluwole Dupe     Hussein Olokooba     Goodluck Jonathan     Obasanjo     Ariyo     A.G.F Abdulrasaq     Quran     Olusegun Adeniyi     Anilelerin     Osi     Salman Jawondo     Kwara State Television (KWTV)     Temi Kolawole     Mahmud Ayinla Giwa     Wale Oladepo     Salary     Air Peace     COVID-19 Palliatives     Usman Yunusa     March 18     Shettima Of Ilorin     SSA Youth     Doyin Awoyale     EFCC     Salmon Babatunde Salmon     Abdul-Rahoof Bello