….as action sends wrong signal to investors

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – MINERS under the auspices of Miners Association of Nigeria, MAN, Wednesday, demanded constitutional review on resources control following State Governments’ banning of mining activities.

Speaking with Vanguard, the National President, MAN, ‘Dele Ayanleke, expressed disappointment over the situation as the Federal Government is yet to properly address the incessant bans placed by the State Governors, which recently the Plateau State Government banned mining activities across the State.

He also warned that the actions by State Governments to ban mining activities would scare investors away if the local investors are being treated this way under what he described as confused regulatory environment, therefore, pointed out that somebody from outside would not bring his money to the sector that is being regulated by multiple agencies.

He said: “It is a constitutional matter, we expected the Federal Government to have reacted, and we have not seen any substantial reaction from the Federal Government.

“We are Nigerians we don’t mind whatever comes out of our regulations, all we want to know is mineral regulations is domiciled. Virtually it is domiciled in the Exclusive List of he Constitution but why we are seeing is entirely different from what is in our status books. We are in a dilemma.

“Our major call is that the federal government maybe should call for a constitutional review, or whether the state governments, let me say state governments, whether they will approach the courts for judicial interpretations, or they use all the weapons at their disposal to call for a consular review with regards to resource control.

“State governments, whether they will approach the courts for judicial interpretations, or they use all the weapons at their disposal to call for a constitutional review with regards to resource control. Solid minerals is not the only mineral we have, we have the liquid minerals as well as gas, and we know what is happening here.

“If the state governments now want to control their own solid minerals, I think that calls for review of the constitution and all extant laws because it brings a lot of confusion, and it brings a crisis.

“The governors, they have several weapons that they can use.They are members of the National Council of State, National Economic Council, also Governors Forum, which they can use either of these to call for a review, if that is what the Nigerians actually want. We are Nigerians, we wouldn’t care much about how the people want their resources to be controlled.

“But what we are saying is that let it be streamlined, synchronized, and let us know who we are responsible to, and in a situation where one tier of government issues licenses, other tiers would not allow those licenses to work or to call for another licensing that one portends danger, not only for Government but for our business and economy as well.”