The Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development and the governors of Enugu and Ebonyi states stressed the need for a robust collaboration between the Federal and State Governments in harnessing the vast potential in the nation’s mineral resources sector.
The chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, Senator Ekong Sampson, the governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, and his Ebonyi State counterpart, Francis Nwifuru, added to the conversation separately during a working visit by the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals in their respective offices.
“On behalf of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, we are here further to our oversight. We were in Ebonyi state, where we went round some mining sites, to see how we can deepen the policies about mining in this country,” Senator Ekong said.
We are here further to the mandate the Senate gave us to go round this country, and see how we can deepen the policies about mining in this country.
“So we have come here to compare notes and then to go round some mining sites, form a welter of recommendations which we are going to make to the Senate.
“The solid minerals sector is one sector that clearly will help to drive the economy of Nigeria. We have depended a lot on oil, and it is time for us to look beyond oil and the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He added
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Governor Mbah of Enugu state replied in response that Nigeria is sitting on huge wealth and is not harnessing it due to neglect of the mineral resources sector in the country. He hailed the Senate committee, stating that their task is of utmost importance as Nigeria looks to diversify from oil.
Ebonyi state governor, represented by his deputy, Princess Patricia Obila, added to the conversation in Abakaliki, stating that the federal government should be willing to collaborate with the state at all levels to harness the full potential of the sector.
