By Nneka Nwogwugwu, Abuja
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, has advised the Federal Government to improve the economy by allowing states to develop and operate their respective minerals and pay royalty to the central government.
Wike made the call when Mr Uchechukwu Ogah, the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, paid him a courtesy visit on Monday at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
“The federal government is carrying so much load that they are not supposed to carry, allow states to develop these minerals and pay royalty to the federal government, that is the way it’s supposed to be.
“It is very important for people to know that part of the problem in this country is that everybody is depending on oil, when we are also supposed to look at other minerals.
“Minerals play a great role in terms of raising revenue for any country, so our overemphasis on oil has reduced our impact on other minerals.”
“If the country fully harness the gold deposit in Zamfara as well as other minerals in other states of the federation, the country will make a lot of revenue from these minerals that can accelerate development.
Wike lamented that despite the possibility of the Ajaokuta Steel Company project generating huge revenues for the country and creating not less than 3,000 jobs, the federal government, for political reasons, have failed to actualise the country’s aspiration to become a major player in the global steel industry.
He declared that the Rivers State government is prepared to collaborate with the federal government to develop the mineral sector of the country.
He urged that the federal government should concentrate on the formulation of policies that will facilitate an improvement in the governance of the mining sector to improve social welfare of the citizens.
Vanguard reports that the Minister in response to the governor’s advice, said that he is in the State to share with him the vision and policy focus of the Federal Government for the development of the nation’s solid mineral resources.
Ogah stated that his visit is to solicit for the support and partnership of the state government in ensuring the orderly and efficient exploitation of huge deposits of silica sand, glass sand and clay which are in the state for construction purposes and glass manufacture.