Imo to embrace mining to increase revenue – Madumere

The Imo State Government has revealed its intention to increase revenue from mining and agriculture, saying that it is part of its diversification effort towards resolving the present economic downturn occasioned by fall in crude price.
The Deputy Governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere, made this remark on Saturday while receiving in audience the representatives of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission and the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, led by Dr. Casmir Anyanwu and Emmanuel Teri Vahyala respectively,when they jointly paid him a courtesy call in his office in Imo State Government House, Owerri, Imo State.
Prince Madumere said: “It has become increasingly clear to every Nigerian that we must must other sources of revenue to bridge the increasing gap being created by the dwindling of oil revenue, which he attributed to fall in demand because of other sources of energy.”
While describing his visitors’ presence as timely, Prince Madumere identified some solid minerals such as lignite, coal, bentonite, bentonictic clay, marcasite (sulphur), kaolin, silica sand, limestone, laterite, clay and river sand, which he said are sparsely spread across eleven local government areas of Imo State and are found commercial quantity.
He however bemoaned the existence of an extant law that ceded mining to the exclusive list, which he said breeds a lot of disharmony in the developing industry describing it anachronistic. He therefore, called on the Federal Government to look into it since it is retrogressive.
He assured the guests that the Imo State Government will fully get involved to ensure that the interests of the communities, the local government, the State and other stakeholders are protected including adoption of international best practices so as to preserve the land for other future uses.
Speaking earlier on the reason for their joint visit, Anyanwu, a Federal Commissioner of RMAFC, said they were in Imo State to seek ways to liaise with the State government to resolve existing disconnect among the stakeholders in the industry.
He therefore suggested a committee where Local Government, State and Federal representatives would be members so as to resolve the challenges and erase suspicion among the stakeholders.
He also emphasised the need to embrace mining as another veritable source of revenue since oil price has consistently remained low, which he attributed to a shift caused by search for cleaner alternative sources of energy other than crude oil.
He therefore urged States to embrace the trend so as to make up for the losses being made from the dwindling oil revenue.
Prince Madumere, while hosting the guests, was accompanied by the Commissioners of Finance, Agriculture and Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Obinna Mbata, Hon. Udo Agoha and Hon. Emma Ibediro respectively.