The Kwara government has lauded the efforts of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) ‘s efforts in checking illegal miners’ activities and non-payment of royalties to the federal government.

This is contained in a statement by EFCC.

It said Kwara’s commissioner for solid minerals development, Harriet Afolabi-Oshatimehin, disclosed this during a solidarity visit to the Ilorin zonal command of the EFCC.

She said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was happy with what the EFCC was doing, stressing that the solid mineral deposits in Kwara, if properly harnessed, would sustain individual, state and national economies.

Mr Afolabi-Oshatimehin expressed dismay over the enormous resources lost by the state government to illegal miners and those not paying due royalties to the government.

“We are so happy with what you are doing, and we are here to let you know that the Kwara government is solidly behind you. The governor is determined to give you all the needed support to sanitise the mining sector,” she stated. “Solid minerals is what brought us here. Kwara is one of the states of the federation that are blessed with large quantities of varieties of solid minerals ranging from gold, lithium, precious metals, tantalite, columbite, dolomite and kaolin.”

She commended the EFCC for “not just looking at the illegal miners, but even the licensed miners that are underpaying royalties, an action tantamount to royalty evasion.”

The commissioner described the EFCC as the foremost anti-graft agency in Nigeria, whose intervention in the mining sector came at the right time.

EFCC zonal commander in Ilorin, Michael Nzekwe, said the anti-graft agency was fulfilling its mandate as specified by the EFCC Act, 2004 and therefore had enforcement powers.

Mr Nzekwe said the need for enhanced collaboration between the ministry and other stakeholders was key to sanitising the mining sector in Kwara.

“If the collaboration between the stakeholders was strengthened, economic saboteurs and other criminals wreaking havoc on the nation’s economy would have no hiding place,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to shun corruption and support the anti-graft crusade of the commission and warned against any form of economic sabotage.

(NAN)