Yemi Olakitan
According to Governor Adeleke, not a single mining company that has operated in the state for the previous 25 years has given the state any dividends.
Mining businesses operating in Osun State with a permit from the state government must immediately halt operations, according to Governor Ademola Adeleke. The development was reported in a statement released on Wednesday in Osogbo by Rasheed Olawale, Mr. Adeleke’s spokesperson.
According to the statement, the decision was given to allow the government to evaluate the Memorandum of Understanding that the previous administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola had signed with the mining companies.
According to Mr. Olawale, “Governor Ademola Adeleke has instructed the immediate suspension of all mining enterprises operating the state’s mining licences in furtherance of his bid to restructure the state’s Solid Mineral Sector.
The suspension, he emphasised, will last until further notice.
According to the MOU between the state, as the licence owner, and the operators, “the suspension of the operators is to continue in effect until the end of the ongoing review of the MOU.” Additionally, he commanded mining company owners to show documents of the Memorandum of Understanding that the previous administration had handed them. All operators must present copies of the Memorandum of Understanding that controls their connection with the state government to the Committee on Assets Verification and Recovery, which is led by Dr. B.T. Salami, he continued. The governor had earlier declared on Monday that all gold mining businesses in the state will start contributing 13% of their profits to the state budget.
He said that documents for the previous 25 years proved that none of the state’s mining businesses had paid the state its dividends.
The state’s mining production businesses must pay the state its entitlements, the governor vowed. The governor had earlier declared on Monday that all gold mining businesses in the state will start contributing 13% of their profits to the state budget.
He said that documents for the previous 25 years proved that none of the state’s mining businesses had paid the state its dividends.
The state’s mining production businesses must pay the state its entitlements, the governor vowed.
