Following a statement by the Delta State governor and chairman of the South-South governors’ forum, Ifeanyi Okowa, on the management of mineral resources in the country, the Zamfara State Commissioner for solid minerals, Dr. Nuruddeen Isa has said the State government did not own goldfields.

Okowa had raised worries why the Federal government would allow the Zamfara State government to manage their goldfields but refused the oil-producing states rights to manage theirs.

Reacting to Okowa’s assertions, Isa during a press briefing in his office on Wednesday noted that the State government was not directly involved in mining activities as reported by the media.

The commissioner said mineral resources belonged to the Federal government, as such; anybody who wants to partake in mining activities must obtain a license from the Federal government.

He added that the State government only used to buy the gold from the illegal miners to prevent the commodity from being smuggled out of the country or sold out to bandits.

He said, “The state government doesn’t own any portion of the goldfields throughout the state and is not involved in mining activities.

“What the state government does is to buy the gold so that it doesn’t fall into wrong hands who in return sell it outside the country and purchase weapons for the bandits.

“The state government has currently banned the mining activities in the state, anybody who wants to venture into mining activities should obtain a permit from the federal government”.

Nwada Ugochinyere Onyechere reporting, Obinwannem News