Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has appealed to the federal government to take effective measures to ensure the commencement of mining operations at the authorized locations in the state for proper harnessing of the inherent benefits of the mineral resources.
Gov. Ugwuanyi who made the appeal when he hosted the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Abubakar Bawa Bwari, at the Government House, Enugu, on courtesy call, stated that “the existing coal mines in Enugu State have long been abandoned”.
He lamented those he described as “Ghost investors”, whose companies, mining leases/ licenses were awarded to by the federal government for years for the exploitation of the minerals in the state but have shown little or no interest.
“We are compelled to describe them as Ghost investors because they have hardly been seen anywhere near the supposed mining areas”, the governor said.
He pointed out that “as a consequence of the inactivity of these companies, all tiers of government in the state have been losing excessive amount of revenue through the nonpayment of royalties, VAT, tenement rates, land use charges, PAYEE etc”.
Gov. Ugwuanyi expressed optimism that “the Honorable Minister of State is in a position to appreciate our concerns and expectations regarding these issues” and “will use your good office to address the said issues promptly and satisfactorily for the benefit of the nation”.
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