Miners’ deaths: Makinde calls for greater state control of mining
By Gbenga Adejayan
Oyo State Governor and Allied Peoples Movement presidential candidate Seyi Makinde has called for greater control of mining activities to be transferred to state governments.
Makinde made the proposal on Tuesday at the Makinde/Daura 2027 Presidential Town Hall meeting in Katsina while reacting to the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State.
The Federal Government has since set up an independent committee to investigate the identities of the deceased, the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, and the cause of their deaths.
Against this backdrop, Makinde said the constitutional arrangement placing mining on the Exclusive Legislative List should be reviewed to give states greater responsibility for managing the sector.
He argued that states would be better positioned to address the factors driving illegal mining and the demand for illegally sourced minerals, while the Federal Government would retain oversight of the sector.
The governor also called for a review of Nigeria’s security architecture, saying efforts to tackle illegal mining should address both the supply and demand sides of the sector and consider the economic conditions that drive some people into the activity.
Makinde said his proposed administration would seek to review the level of government responsible for making decisions on matters affecting citizens. He also promised that his 2027 campaign would be issue-based, citing the constitutional provision on the transmission of power when a president is unavailable.
He urged Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards and support his proposed “Reset Agenda,” which he said would focus on building a country that works for citizens irrespective of tribe, religion or region. At the town hall, APM vice presidential candidate Lawal Daura identified insecurity and poverty as major challenges, while the National Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, said the party would prioritise security and normalcy under a Makinde-led administration.
