What Osinbajo told governors at NEC meeting

The National Economic Council (NEC) has resolved that Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) should constitute an ad hoc committee to address the challenges confronting the mining sector.

Gov. Abudullahi Sule of Nasarawa State briefed State House correspondents after the NEC meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Sule said that the council received a memorandum from the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, which intimated to the council the current relationship between the three tiers of government in fiscal governance of the solid minerals sector.

He said the minister sought an improved synergy between the three tiers of government in the sector and also requested the council’s support in respect of the provisions of the constitution and the Nigerian Mineral Mining Act.

The governor said that NEC was further informed that the ministry had resuscitated the Presidential Mines Surveillance Taskforce in all states of the federation with the responsibility of curbing illegal mining and environmental degradation.

He said that the taskforce would also plug the revenue leakages in addition to the institutionalising of National Council on Mining and Mineral Resources Development.

“The resolutions of the council are as follows: council resolved that there is a need for greater collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development as well as the various states.

“It was also resolved that environmental issues and concerns in various states have to be sorted out by the Federal Ministry of Mines and the various states.

“Regarding community relationship, council resolved that there should be a full time engagement of the communities to avoid mistakes made in the oil sector.

“In summary, the governor of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), should constitute an ad hoc committee involving governors to engage with the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel to find ways of addressing all the issues involved so that there will be fewer challenges especially in this particular ministry,’’ he said.