Minister urges state govts to create environment for investment to thrive

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Architect Olamilekan Adegbite (3rd from left), the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari (3rd from right) while the state Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Alhaji Abdullahi Imam (left), SSA to the minister, Mr. Olu Adedayo (2nd left), Senator representing Katsina South, Senator Bello Mandiya (right) and SA, Special Duties to the governor, Alhaji Safana Danyyabu (2nd right) during the visit in Abuja

The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Architect Olamilekan Adegbite, on Monday, urged the state governments to create enabling environment for investment to thrive.

He gave this advice in his office in Abuja while playing host to the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari.

Architect Adegbite said: “As the Chief Security Officers (CSOs) of their various states, it is the duty of the state governments to create a safe environment in terms of security and ensure investors are not taken undue advantage of.”

According to a statement signed by Mrs Idowu Jokpeyibo, on behalf of the Head of Press and Public Relations Unit, Mrs Etore Thomas, the minister further advised them to guard against the imposition of what he called “secondary rules” such as multiple taxations which could discourage investors.

The minister, therefore, cautioned the governors to desist from proclamations that could heat up the polity, noting that the Federal Government controls mineral resources in all states of the Federation.

“There is need to thread with caution because if we look at this country in the last 50 years, we have all depended on one resource and it is coming from some states and Federal Government has maintained control over it.

“States cannot say they want to control the mineral resources in their states, it negates the principle of Federation for states with mineral resources to agitate for control,” he added.

Architect Adegbite reiterated that the control of mineral resources in the states was vested on Federal Government for exploitation, as he made reference to the provisions that allowed every state in terms of derivation to benefit 13% of minerals mined in their domains.

Earlier in his remarks, Governor Masari of Katsina State, said he was in the ministry to intimate the minister of the progress his state had made in mining and seek collaboration in areas of marketing and investment.

He attributed the state of insecurity currently being experienced in the country to idleness as he said Nigeria was yet to fully develop what would make people busy and gainfully employed, such as mining.

“Every state of the Federation is blessed with mineral resources and if we develop what we have in every state and community, the agitation for resource control, fiscal federalism and so on will gradually die out,” he asserted.

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