FG restates support for small scale miners

The Federal Government has again stated its support for the small scale and artisanal miners in the country.

This was made by the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr Uchekwuckwu Ogah, when he inspected BUA Cement Company sites on Friday in Sokoto.

He urged the company to patronise local miners on raw materials obtained within the state as a way to argument their activities saying Nigeria is blessed with huge mineral resources that should not be stolen away by criminal elements operating in various mining sites.

”Although the solid mineral is under the exclusive legislative list of the Federal Government, however state governments could take advantage of the initiative by creating a company to participate in mining of the mineral resource deposit in their domain,” Ogah said.

He said he was in the state to inspect the company’s activities and also to sensitize the people of Sokoto on the President Buhari’s economic diversification policies on mining and associated businesses.

The minister said that Buhari has created windows for citizens to engaged in profitable mining activities.

Responding, the Director Plant Operations of BUA Company, Mr Aminu Bashir, said the company’s production capacity rose from 300 tonnes to 1.7 million tonnes and hoped to obtain increased of up to 3.5 million tonnes after completion of expansion works.

Bashir said the company enjoyed cordial working relationship with the Sokoto stare government and host communities stressing that friendly atmosphere necessitated the company’s growth.