…Describes it As Cover For Resource Control
The creation of the Presidential Artisanal Mining Development Initiative (PAGMDI) no doubt is another proof that the Federal Government is out to favour a particular section of the country.
Against this back drop, the member of House Of Representatives, Hon. Farah Dagogo has faulted PAGMDI, describing it as a semantics for Resource Control.
He noted that in justifying the initiative which was designed to deceive Nigerians but heavily skewed to favour a particular part of the country, Mr President had stated that PAGMDI would help reshape gold mining activities in Nigeria and prevent loss of value to illegal miners and smugglers.
Hon Dagago maintained that the whole idea behind PAGMDI was to enable miners be fully responsible for the sale and distribution of the natural resources (gold) in their areas unlike what is tenable in the South.
The Federal Lawmaker, who made this known through a statement, further posited that by the structure of PAGMDI 100% derivation revenue goes to those areas where gold is found while the oil and gas producing communities in the South are getting just 13% derivation revenue.
He regretted that the Nigerian Government had at several times denied the South South, the South East and the South West the right to control their resources only to allow the North to control its resources through the cover of PAGMDI.
Confirming the speed at which PAGMDI has become operational in less than 10 months after it was set up, he wondered why the Federal Government has not extended similar gesture to the South-South and other regions in Nigeria.
“Now that the North is in control of its resources as established by PAGMDI, the South South and other regions with natural resources are entitled to control theirs too. The difference is very clear, what we have in the South is 13% derivation revenue , whereas in the North with PAGMDI, it is 100% derivation revenue. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander,” the lawmaker added.
