FG urges States on enabling environment for Investors
By Gloria Akudoro, Abuja
The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arch. Olamilakan Adegbite, has urged the State Governments to create enabling environment for investment to thrive in the country.
This call was made Tuesday when the State Governor of Kastina, Alh Aminu Bello Masari paid a courtesy visit in Abuja.
The Minister of Mine and Steel Development, Arch. Olamilakan Adegbite who welcomed Governor Masari and his entorage said as the Chief Security Officers of their various States, it is the duty of the State Governments to create safe environment in terms of security and ensure that investors are not taken undue advantage of.
Adegbeti then called on State Governors to guard against imposition of what he called “secondary rules” such as multiple taxation which could discourage investors.
He advised them to desist from proclamations that could heat up the polity noting that the Federal Government controls mineral resources in all States of the Federation.
“There is need to thread with caution because if we look at this country in the last 50years, we have all depended on one resource and it is coming from some States and Federal Government has maintained control over it.
“States cannot say they want to control the mineral resources in their States, it negates the principle of Federation for States with mineral resources to agitate for control”, he emphasized.
The Minister however reiterated that the control of mineral resources in the States is vested on Federal Government for exploitation, and made reference to the provisions that allowed every State in terms of derivation to benefit 13% of minerals mined in their domain.
Adegbite therefore acknowledged the visit of Governor Masari and assured him of the Ministry’s readiness to collaborate and work with Katsina State while calling on State Governments to give Federal Government free hand to administer mining in their various localities for the benefits of all.
Earlier in his remarks, the Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Bello Masari, said his purpose of visiting the Ministry was to intimate the Minister of the progress his State has made as regards to mining and seek partnership in areas of marketing and investment.
Governor Masari attributed the current insecurity being experienced in the country to idleness stressing that the nation is yet to fully develop what would make people busy and the mining sector is capable of bridging the cap.
“Every State of the Federation is blessed with mineral resources and if we develop what we have in every State and community, the agitation for resource control, fiscal federalism and so on will gradually die out,” he stressed.
He further said Nigeria needs a directional leadership to guide, propel and harness the abundant mineral resources in all the states and end dependency on Federal Government.
