Solid Minerals Control: Governors should abide by constitution-MAN

Solid Minerals Control: Governors should abide by constitution-MAN

ON October 3, 2017 3:35 AM / IN News , Sweet Crude / BY Ugoh Solomon Chinonso
Gabriel EWEPU
FOLLOWING controversy over control of solid minerals in some states, the Miners Association of Nigeria, MAN, has called on state governors to respect and abide by the provisions of the constitution.

L-R: Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola; Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi; Minister of State for Power, Mustapher Shauri and the Minister of State for Solid Minerals Development, Bawa Bwari discussing during the Federal Executive Council chaired by Ag. President Yemi Osinbajo at the State House, Abuja. Photo by Abayomi Adeshida
The National President, MAN, Sani Shehu, disclosed this in Abuja while pointing out the constitutional provisions for solid and liquid minerals on the Exclusive List, where the federal government has the exclusive control of all minerals across the country.
He said that: “We have clearly stated our position as Miners Association of Nigeria, MAN that we are on the side of the law and the provision of Minerals and Mining Act.
“And the Constitution of Nigeria has already placed the control of mineral resources under the Exclusive List and that is a common knowledge and the governors know that. They have agitations but when agitations conflicts with the law and you know it is the law that supersedes agitations and sentiments.”
Meanwhile, he appealed to state governors to push for constitutional amendment if they want to be in control of solid minerals in their state.
“Our appeal to them is this, the starting point should be to advocate for constitution amendment so that some powers can also be given to them.”
However, he urged the governors desiring to agitate for resource control to compliment the effort by the federal government to develop the sector.
“But at the moment they should submit themselves to the law so that miners will not be unnecessarily become victims of constitutional dichotomy between the state and the federal governments.
“And if the governors assist in the development of the solid mineral they will be collecting money as they are collecting money generated from the liquid mineral. All hands must be on deck to ensure that the solid mineral sector grows to the level where everybody will benefit from it.”
Shehu added that: “If I should agree with the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, which officially reported that the country was in a recession, and I should also agree with them because they are experts because they are the ones that officially informed the world that Nigeria is now in a recession, and they gave their reasons as experts. Now same experts are saying Nigeria is out of recession and they gave their reasons. We cannot fault their report.
“There is a slight decrease in the price of mining equipment and machineries, which we were informed by dealers in caterpillars.“