Senator representing Nasarawa South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Mohammed Onawo has said that his Bill on Solid Minerals will discourage foreigners from dominating the mining sector.
Speaking with journalists at the national assembly, the senator said the first reading of the bill would be taken today by the senate.
He said it was unhealthy for the country and the environment to allow foreigners to take control of its mining sector, stating that apart from the need to strengthen the local players in the system, the environment also needed to be protected from unethical use currently ongoing.
He said the practice of allowing the sector’s domination by the foreigners had pauperised the locals.
He said, “By tomorrow (today) my Bill will be taken for the first time in the senate. It is a Bill that seeks for the creation of the Solid Minerals Development Commission.
“We are rich people but the way we harness these riches pushes our people into more poverty.
“We allow too many foreigners to dominate our Solid Minerals sector. Foreigners go into our villages at will to mine our mineral resources and take them away in raw form without adding value to them here, thereby taking the jobs away from our people.
“This is especially so with the Chinese; they degrade our lands and later leave and abandon us to face the ruination of their actions. So, the Bill will among other things seek to remedy these unwholesome activities.
“We are not taxing these foreigners enough and we are not protecting our local players enough. So we call on Nigerians to come forward during the Public Hearing on the Bill and contribute on how we can make good law to protect and empower us the most.”
On the removal of subsidy, Onawo said though he believed the action was taken with good intentions, the timing was wrong.
