By Abdullahi Ibrahim
The Kogi State Government has asked for 50% derivation from solid minerals located and explored in the state as against 13% earmarked for solid minerals producing states.
Mr Yomi Awoniyi, the Kogi State deputy governor, made the appeal when he received the Federal Government committee on solid minerals post-mortem in his office. He said the appeal has become necessary because of the concentration of solid minerals in the state.
He lamented that a situation where the state, with 29 out of the 35 solid minerals deposits found in the country, earns little or nothing is unacceptable. He also frowned at a situation where communities in the state are at the receiving end as a result of solid minerals exploration.
The deputy governor described the committee’s visit to the state as hope rising and signs of better things to come, and urged them to carry out their assignment with diligence.
He pointed out that the Wada administration is presently paying attention to the development of its solid minerals as an alternative to over-reliance on dwindling oil revenue. Whatever money the state derives in the course of its solid mineral exploration, he disclosed, will be ploughed back to the development of the industry and development of the communities.
He urged the post-mortem committee to ensure that the state gets its right measure of solid minerals it produces, adding that the work of the committee could not have come at a better time.
He equally assured the committee that the state is willing to partner with those in the mining industry through the provision of machinery and other working tools to ensure that the state derives maximum benefit of solid minerals found in the state.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser on Special Duties to the State Governor who also oversees solid minerals in the state, Commodore Onekutu (rtd), called on the Federal Government to regulate the issuance of mining licenses to only genuine miners, adding that rather than making solid minerals exploration an issue on the exclusive list, state government, he appealed, should be involved in deciding who is granted approval to carry out exploration.
He added that this will enable the state to know who the miners are, monitor their activities, ascertain their community involvement, determine their level of corporate social responsibility and whether environmental impact assessment was strictly observed and carried out by the explorers .
Earlier in his remarks, Rev. Ajibola Fagboyegun, team leader of the post-mortem committee, said recent discoveries showed that revenue accruing from sold minerals do not go to the respective states.
He said the committee’s visit to Kogi State was to ascertain what should be due to Kogi State in terms of derivation from monies already saved from previous sales and to determine whether the actual amount is been remitted into the federation account.
Their visit to the state, he added, will amongst others establish a template that will henceforth monitor inflow of monies derived from sold minerals.
He urged states to pay more attention to mineral resources in their states, adding that if well harnessed, the states will stand tall in revenue indices in the country.
The team leader said their mission which include visit to mining sites and the end users, described Kogi State as largely blessed with untapped solid minerals.
Fagboyegun urged Kogi State Government to invest in its numerous solid minerals as revenues from oil, he noted, is no longer reliable.
While appealing to the state to look inward and diversify its economy from oil, he said efforts will be made for the state to share from revenue that has so far accrued to the it from solid minerals exploration.
Meanwhile, Mr Yomi Awoniyi has commended the Federal Executive Council over its approval of the construction/rehabilitation of Ilorin-Omuran-Kabba road, describing the approval unbelievable.
Awoniyi described the approval for the road repair as timely, adding that it would help reduce the sufferings faced by the people of Kabba, Ijumu, Mopa, Yagba East and West Local Government Areas.
He explained that the approval followed several appeals made by the state government under the leadership of Capt. Idris Wada and other prominent sons and daughters of the Western Senatorial District of the state.
The deputy governor said the appeal to fix the road was constantly made by Capt. Wada since he noticed the dilapidated nature of the road during the electioneering campaign in 2011, and described the approval as the painstaking efforts of the governor and commended Senator Smart Adeyemi, Senator representing Kog West Senatorial District and other National Assembly members from Kogi West and the two other Senatorial Districts for their role in making the approval possible.
He equally thanked Otunba Jide Omokore for the pivotal role he played in ensuring the approval for the road repairs.
He also thanked clergymen from the area for their prayers and other people who contributed in no small measure in making the road approval possible.
The deputy governor called the people to have belief in government promises, assuring that the road with the personal commitment and assurances from the President and the Ministry of Works would be completed on schedule.
The road when completed, Awoniyi disclosed, will ease the journey of motorists, reduce road accidents and improve the economic activities of people living in that area as well as improve transportation business.
The road will once again reinforced and strengthened the fundamental transformation agenda of the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and Capt. Idris Wada, describing the award as a yuletide gift for the people of the West Senatorial District of Kogi State.
It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council in its meeting on Wednesday granted approval for the repair of Ilorin-Omuaran-Kabba road with a completion period of 36 months at a cost of N8,217,373,106.17k.
© dARA for Royal Times of Nigeria Newspaper, 2013. |
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