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Reps Mull Law on Untapped Mineral Resources
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
The House of Representatives on Monday, disclosed its plans to enact a law that would address issues relating to untapped Mineral Resources in the country.
Deputy Speaker, Rep Benjamin Kalu, conveyed the House’s position to a Public Policy Dialogue organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Solid Minerals in Abuja.
He said the law would come by way of amendment to the “Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act.
”Kalu said the country’s vast mineral resources remained largely untapped and undeservedly overshadowed by the nation’s reliance on crude oil revenue.
He said, in spite of boasting of more than 40 commercially viable minerals, the mining sector contributed about 0.
3 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product, saying that such was very meagre and unacceptable.“Our duty call today is to turn the tide. There are indications of a renewed vigour in our mining industry, fuelled by a collective will to diversify our economy,” he said.
According to him, making the mining sector more viable will also create more job opportunities and unlock the immense potentials beneath our soil.
“The 2016–2025 mining industry development roadmaps are aimed at increasing the sector’s GDP contribution from three per cent by 2025 to something more meaningful and are already showing progress.
“Projects like the Segilola Gold Project in Osun, governed by Private-sector-led lenses are injecting millions of dollars into our economy and attracting the much-needed investment.
“To demonstrate this concisely, in the third quarter of 2023, the Segilola Gold mine in Osun, Nigeria’s first industrial-scale gold mine, posted 118 million dollars in revenue for its owners.’’
He said the country had done it with gold mining in Osun, adding that it could be replicated across all the states of the federation.
The deputy speaker, however, said that the challenges affecting mining remained insecurity, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of skilled labour, which continued to act as bottleneck to smooth operations for stakeholders.
Also speaking, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State said the Federal Government should reform the sector to make it more viable.
According to him, every state has its own mineral resources, and there is a need for policy makers to ensure that the right things are done to tap into the sector and move Nigerians away from the oil sector.
He added that there was a need to focus on the solid mineral sector to create jobs for the unemployed youth.
Chairman of the committee, Rep. Jonathan Gweffi, on his part, said the dialogue was necessary to address key priority areas to improve the sector.
According to him, the key priority areas were identified, and the common denominator between various priorities is the need for better governance.
He said the committee recommended the establishment bill for a Solid Minerals Development Company, which allocated 75 per cent ownership to the private sector and 25 per cent to the federation.
Gweffi said the bill would repeal and reenact the principal Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act 2007, by reworking the structure based on the priority areas.
He added that security remained one of the key factors in the stalemate of the solid minerals sector.
Several commercial transport operators in Ilorin on Thursday stormed some major streets in the metropolis to protest the new hike in petrol pump price.
During the protest, they expressed their displeasure with the sudden price hike, with the action leading to untold hardship for thousands of commuters.
The protests which commenced on Thursday morning significantly disrupted the movement of commercial vehicles across the city.
This forced passengers to resolve to trekking to their destinations.
The protest was spearheaded by some operators of commercial tricycles and commercial motorcycle riders who blocked several major roads in the city.
The road blocks occurred at Taiwo Isale, Coca-Cola road Junction, Maraba, Gambari Road and Offa Garage, bringing traffic to a standstill for several hours.
Consequently, commuters faced severe delays as the protesters restricted vehicular movements, demanding immediate action to address the situation.
Jimoh Abubakar, a commercial tricycle operator who spoke with newsmen at Maraba, revealed that the protest was because of the sudden hike in fuel pump price.
Abubakar said the increase was unfair, adding that transporters hardly made profit due to money spent on fuel.
“In fact, when we were charging N50 per drop, it was more profitable than now. The hardship is too much, the government should help us,” he said.
Another tricycle rider, Yusuf Issa, also called on government to reduce fuel pump price, saying tricycle riders now spend all their income on fuel.
“They (government) should reduce it totally. It is becoming very difficult to make any profit, not to talk of taking care of the family from what we do for a living,” he said.
The focal points of the protest, such as Maraba and Murtala Mohammed Way Junction, witnessed aggrieved transporters chanting “(We say) ‘No’ to consistent price hike”.
Security operatives, including personnel of the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were deployed to key areas in the metropolis to ease the tension and ensure orderliness.
The presence of security agents helped to prevent any escalation into violence and ensured that the protest remained largely peaceful in spite of the significant disruptions to daily activities.
The protest caused widespread disruption as residents who relied on public transport as they were stranded and could not go for their daily activities.
Many of them later resolved to trekking to their various destinations.
Report says that most independent petroleum marketers in Kwara now sell at different prices ranging from N950 to N1200 per litre.(NAN)
Police in Edo have detained a 19-year-old native doctor, Timothy Dauda, for allegedly shooting his client, Alex Ezekiel, to death during an “anti-bullet” charm trial.The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, confirmed the incident to Newsmen on Monday.Yamu said that the incident happened on August 20 in Onumu Community, near Igara, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of the state.
He said that the suspect was arrested by operatives from Igarra Divisional Police Station in Akoko-Edo. The suspect allegedly claimed to specialise in preparing charms against gunshots and machete cuts.A source further told NAN that the deceased had visited the native doctor’s home to obtain the charm.It said that “in a shocking turn of events”, Dauda attempted to test the efficacy of the charm by shooting the client with a gun.The charm was said to have failed as he sustained fatal injuries.“When he was rushed to a hospital in Igarra, he was pronounced dead by a medical doctor,” the source further said.Meanwhile, the police spokesman said that the suspect would face prosecution as soon as investigations were concluded(NAN
The Police Command in Lagos State says it has arrested two men for allegedly robbing three commercial sex workers.
The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest to newsmen on Saturday.
Hundeyin said that the three sex workers reported the case to the police on Wednesday at about 2.
20a.m.He disclosed that the victims reported that they sighted two robbery suspects at an undisclosed place, who allegedly robbed them of their valuables on Aug.
23, at about 4.30a.m.“They stated they were picked up being commercial sex workers at Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Bode Thomas, Surulere by the two suspects.
“They were taken to where they claimed the (suspects) lodged.
Suddenly, the suspects parked and ordered them to surrender their valuables.“In the process, two Iphone valued at N1.05 million, one REDMI Note 12 valued at N140,000, Iphone SR valued at N240,000 were collected from them.
“The suspects also compelled the victims to transfer ₦25,OOO to an Opay Account and N8, 000 to same account,” he said.
The police spokesperson said that during investigation, the suspects confessed to the crime.
He disclosed that the suspects operational vehicle, a Toyota Camry with Reg. No. APP335 JA, two other blank number plates they were using for their operation were recovered.
Hundeyin said that one of the victim’s cell phone, REDMI NOTE 12, was also recovered from the suspects, while investigation was ongoing. (NAN)
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