By Gabriel Ewepu

Abuja — The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Thursday, debunked claims over the alleged sale of gold by the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Etore Thomas, and made available to Vanguard, with the subject, 'Zamfara Gold: Putting the Facts Right'.

According to the statement, people are seemingly portraying that some states in the country have right to aggregate minerals resources within their domain for their use, which is not true as all mineral resources remain on the Exclusive Legislative list as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The statement also pointed that for the benefit of doubt, Section 44(3) states "the entire property in and control of all minerals, mineral oils and natural gas in, under or upon any land in Nigeria or in, under or upon the territorial waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Nigeria, shall vest in the Government of the Federation and shall be managed in such manner as may be prescribed by the National Assembly." Likewise the Mineral Act of 2007 is very clear on issue of minerals ownership and exploitation.

According to the statement, it is in line with this that the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development is saddled with the responsibility for identifying the nation's solid minerals, advising the government on the formulation and execution of laws and regulations guiding the various stages of prospecting, quarrying, and mining, and handling sale and consumption of solid minerals in the country, through the issuance of permits, licenses, leases and collection of rents, fees, and royalties.

The statement reads in part, "The attention of the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has been drawn to media reports on reactions of individuals and groups to the purported news report about Zamfara State Governor buying gold from artisanal miners in the state and selling same to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Ordinarily, the Ministry would have been silent but for the negative impression those views are portraying; seemingly that states in some parts of the country have right to aggregate minerals resources within their domain to their use.

"On Zamfara State gold; Zamfara State has security challenges and the State government discovered that bandits were exploiting the ignorance of the artisanal miners, buy off their gold at very cheap price, take the gold across the border and sell at market price and exchange for ammunitions and guns, which was fueling banditry.

"Zamfara State government through a registered company, with a buying centre license is now buying gold from the artisanal miners at market price. This has no doubt discouraged the artisanal miners in the state from selling to bandits.

"Though states through their licensed corporate bodies can buy and sell gold to any interested persons or company, it is worthy of note that CBN did not and will not buy gold from Zamfara Government.

"The gold displayed by the Zamfara State government is called dore bars (semi-processed gold). CBN buys gold that is processed to 99.99% purity which is LBMA standard, tradable all over the world.

"The Federal Government encourages state governments to be part of the exploitation of minerals in the country by incorporating a limited liability company with which to approach the Ministry for a license for Mining or Buying Centres.

"Such corporate body/company must go through normal processes for approval and issuance of license. This license allows such company to exploit minerals in any given location which is called Cadastre Unit."

The statement also explained that "As part of strategies to implement policies/programmes in the Mining Sector to broaden revenue generation and employment opportunities in line with the economic diversification agenda of this administration, the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (PAGMI) is being implemented. The components of the initiative included but not limited to Formalization of the artisanal miners into cooperatives This is to integrate their activities into the economic and institutional framework that would eliminate illegality; Registration of Buying Centres and Aggregators, to provide market access for artisanal miners, etc.

"Like in the oil and gas sector, revenues generated from mineral resources are paid into the federation account, and shared among the states during the monthly meeting of Federation Allocation Account Committee (FAAC). 13% derivation is paid on mineral resources exploitation from minerals producing states as done in the oil and gas sector."

The Federal Government encourages state governments to be part of the exploitation of minerals in the country by incorporating a limited liability company with which to approach the Ministry for a license for Mining or Buying Centres.

amerengues:
Hmmm

favor914:
only oblivious people would have believed the rumor, the provisions of the constitution is cardinal.

favor914:
only oblivious people would have believed the rumor, the provisions of the constitution is cardinal.

What is bunkering?

The term bunkering encompasses all acts involving oil theft, including diversion and smuggling of oil and unauthorized loading of ships. One common process requires tapping into an oil pipeline and transporting the oil elsewhere to be sold internationally or refined locally. In order to access the oil, a small group of welders will puncture a pipeline at night, establishing a tapping point from which the group can operate.

https://www.cfr.org/blog/primer-nigerias-oil-bunkering

Blue3k:
Lol people on this forum know how to expose their criminal sympathies. No the government cant legalize theft aka oil bunkering. Bunkers just steal oil in pipelines and resell on the open market. Drilling for oil is clearly different from stealing oil out random pipelines.

If you want to argue small scale prospecters should be given licenses to explore that's a valid argument. If you want modular refineries that makes sense. Both are currently legal within the country.

Commonsense99:
how many decades ago was gold discovered in zamfara?

2nd to the last paragraph," the federal government is yet to, or still registering the artisan miners, they just hastily started it a while ago with PAGMI" ...
The real front men here are the so Called artisan miners who mines for Zamfara government,
So any body can just grab some mining tools and start digging for gold to sale to zamfara government at giveaway price, to process and sale to CBN ?

why can't there be artisan oil drillers and refiners in South South? Why call it oil bunkering?

Rugaria:
If Zamfara "artisanal miners" can be recognized and allowed to operate like legitimate business outfits, "oil bunkerers" in the Niger Delta should also be allowed to operate unhindered. . That means soldiers should stop shooting at local folks that are branded oil thieves for helping themselves with the resources found in their land... Folks from oil producing areas should start oil and gas exploration whenever they want without licenses and sell to NNPC?

Folks, this government is evil! You can see the kind of argeument being churned out to defend evil. Rather than implement the law, Buhari is shifting the goalpost once again! The biggest problem with Buhari is his inherent inability to call a spade a spade, whenever the culprits are from his tribe/zone/party, dude starts to speak in tongues! The man will rather run from pillar to post, Scanvenging for excuses, rather than allow the law take it's full course! Buhari and his likes should never have been anywhere near a presidential house!

Commonsense99:

This is the point, there is no difference between the guy who steals from government oil pipeline without permission and the guy who digs gold for years without permission.

Who gave the artisan miners licences to dig supposed government gold deposits for decades ? The ministry implicated itself by accepting that PAGMI is just beign formed to register artisan criminals who have been having a field day, why attack their Niger delta counterparts?
This is not to say I support such act, no I don't, but what is good for the goose is also good for the gander.

The Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Development Initiative (“PAGMI”) is a comprehensive artisanal and small-scale gold mining development programme, launched in 2019 to foster the formalization and integration of artisanal gold mining activities into Nigeria’s legal, economic, and institutional framework.

Commonsense99:
If PAGMI was just formed this 2019, who registered the artisan criminals of yesteryears? Haven't we heard rumours of how illegal cartels control that mining with government looking the other way?

Dude we all know the government had always handled the issue of illegal mining with kid gloves in relation to oil bunkering.

Nigeria: An Overview Of The Nigerian Minerals And Mining Act 2007
A Small Scale Mining Lease:

A Small Scale Mining Lease covers an area not exceeding 3 square kilometers and requires its holders to carry out effective rehabilitation of the mined out areas to the satisfaction of the MECD and pay prescribed fees. The Government through the Ministry shall provide certain extension services to duly registered and performing mining co-operatives of small scale artisinal miners to include amongst other services prospecting and exploration services to determine the geological setting, structure, nature of occurrence, quantity and quality of minerals being mined, provision of environmental impact assessment report and detailed guidelines on waste and tailing disposal and holding regular workshops to update miners knowledge on legal, marketing, business skills and infrastructural support.3

https://www.mondaq.com/nigeria/mining/95916/an-overview-of-the-nigerian-minerals-and-mining-act-2007

amerengues:
Hmmm

This piece lacks coherence and cohesion. As much as attempt is being made to illuminate on the issue, it hasn’t broached the bone of contention.

It doesn’t capture the issue that led to the highbrow raised by Oil producing states. Will the government permit the same for Oil regions in Nigeria?

englishmart:
Arewwa republic think they are smart. Gold is for zamfara but oil in the south is for The FG. I laugh in improper fraction

Enudapan:
Nah eh! No qualms
This is so unsophisticated

Nigeria is just a bunch of major cruises