The Kogi State government yesterday called for review of Nigeria’s law on solid minerals exploitation, to give right to states endowed with the resources to harness them for benefit of the people.
State deputy governor, Yomi Awoniyi, who spoke in Lokoja, pointed out that the current law which makes solid minerals exploitation an exclusive preserve of the federal government has not augured well for states in terms of revenue generation.
He lamented that Kogi State which boasts of several untapped solid mineral resources is still struggling to run its affairs in the face of dwindling resources accruing to it from the federation account.
“It is on record that 29 of the 35 solid minerals in the country abound in Kogi State, but unfortunately we can do nothing to harness them as they are not ours by law. Therefore, the law has to change to enable us benefit directly from these solid minerals. We should be able to exploit these mineral resources for the benefit of our people”, he said.
He said efforts by the state government to woo foreign investors from Australia to harness some solid minerals in the past were futile because such exploitation is beyond its control.
Awoniyi also advocated that states be allowed to collect tolls on their roads to boost revenue.
