Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has advocated more collaboration with other critical stakeholders in the mining sector to check activities of illegal miners and non-payment of royalties to the federal government.
The Ilorin zonal commander of the EFCC, assistant commander of the EFCC, ACE Michael Nzekwe, stated this when the commissioner for solid minerals development, Kwara State, Adenike Harriet Afolabi-Oshatimehin, paid a courtesy visit to the Ilorin Zonal Command of the anti-graft agency over the weekend.
According to a statement signed by Wilson Uwujaren, head, media and publicity, EFCC, Nzekwe lamented the rate of economic sabotage in the mining sector and underscored the need for enhanced collaboration between the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and other stakeholders as key to sanitizing the mining sector in the state.
He said, "The commission, in fulfilment of its mandate, as specified by the EFCC Act, 2004 has enforcement powers and equally empowered to take measures to prevent the commission of economic crimes, which include economic sabotage and royalty evasion as in this case".
The zonal commander assured that there would be no hiding place for economic saboteurs and other sundry criminals wreaking havoc on the nation's economy if collaboration among the stakeholders in the mining sector is strengthened.
He further urged every Nigerian to shun corruption and support the commission's anti-graft crusade. He warned that the EFCC would not treat any economic saboteur with kid gloves.
On her part, the Kwara State commissioner for solid minerals development, Adenike Harriet Afolabi-Oshatimehin, commended EFCC's efforts in checking the activities of illegal miners and non-payment of royalties to the federal government.
Commenting on efforts of the EFCC in curbing the menace, the commissioner said, "Governor Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman is happy with what EFCC is doing. We are so happy with what you are doing. And, we are here to let you know that the Kwara State government is solidly behind you. The governor is determined to give you all the needed support to sanitise the mining sector.
"Solid minerals are what brought us here. Kwara State is one of the states of the Federation blessed with large quantities of varieties of solid minerals ranging from gold, lithium, precious metals, tantalite, columbite, dolomite and kaolin among others."
The commissioner expressed the hope that if solid mineral deposits in the state are properly harnessed, they could sustain individual, state and national economy. She decried the enormous resources the state government is losing to illegal miners, who mine without any licence and or those who mine without paying due royalties to the government.
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She disclosed that, owing to the attention being paid to solid minerals, Kwara State has been named among mineral producing states by the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
"I was very delighted to hear that the EFCC is not just looking at the illegal miners, but even the licensed miners that are under paying royalties, which action is tantamount to royalty evasion", she said.
She described the EFCC as the foremost anti-graft agency in Nigeria, which intervention in the mining sector came at the right time. To this end, the commissioner promised to work in partnership with the commission, in its bid to curb activities of illegal miners and non-payment of royalties by operators in the state.
