Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has called on the Federal Government to permit 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 at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said this has become necessary because the federal government which unilaterally controls the country’s rich mineral endowment has failed to translate the mineral wealth into overall economic development.
“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,” Wike said.
He urged the Minister to push for reforms that will enable states and local governments to take charge of the mining of solid minerals in their domains and then pay tax to the federal government.
