By Attahiru Ahmed Gusau
Zamfara state government has denied insinuations that it claimed ownership of mineral resources, especially gold that lay abundant in the state.
Briefing news men on Wednesday, the commissioner for Environment, Mines and Solid Minerals, Dr Nurudeen Isah, said buying gold from artisanal miners, was aimed at curbing the wave of banditry and ‘not to desecrate the constitution’ of Nigeria.
“We have never and have no intention to desecrate the constitution of Nigeria,” he said, adding that the issue of gold is topical and “borders on the politics, economy and security of the state and the country at large.
“The issue of gold mining and related matters which has dominated the media at a time and still being discussed as a point of controversy, ought not to have arisen if not for the misunderstanding, misinformation or sheer mischief,” he said.
Isah said the governor’s address in which he mentioned the extent of his government’s participation in gold mining process was severely misunderstood.
“In fact, we have every cause to say that the issue as reported in the media and the trailing reactions to the reports were quite unfortunate and highly misplaced,” he said.
The Commissioner added that mining activities began to be pervasive in Zamfara 10 years ago.
“Illegal mining of solid minerals in Nigeria is very common and a source of concern to the Federal government.
“It was a source of concern to Zamfara state government as it poses a great danger to the environment and to the health condition of the people”.
According to Isah, despite the frantic efforts of the state government to further clarify this matter, many interested parties have developed blocked ears to the explanations made.
“The latest, and indeed, more worrisome, is the position taken by the South-South governors where they challenged governor Bello Muhammad, premised on the same wrong notion, that he claimed to own the goldfields and control the mining of the mineral resources against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In fact, the major licences it offered are spread across the country with an interested company from the South-East, owning the largest of mining sector in the state with over 100 hectares of mining field,” he said.
The Commissioner said the interest of the state government is to participate, like any other interested buyer, to purchase this gold so that the state can also have a source of revenue boost to enable it to cater for the growing needs of dispensing social services.
