Zamfara Gold, restructuring and the rest of us

 Bello Matawalle

Zamfara State Governor

It was a younger man who enlightened me on the cause of banditry in Zamfara State. The simple answer is: Gold.

In my primary school days, we were shown map of Nigeria and its mineral resources, and I recall then that there was Gold against the terrain of old Sokoto State, then comprising present day Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto.

The chickens have come home to roost. It is now a source of friction. I am aware illegal mining thrives in the north. Whatever happened to the Nigerian Mining Company.

The present debacle came from the office of the governor of Zamfara State, asking the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay Zamfara state Government, N5bn for Gold.

Ordinarily, this should be a matter for the National Economic Council but for indolent and clueless Governors who are making a mountain out of it.

The issue of resource control is settled except that those in charge are too obsessed with Oil to know what to do.

There are extant laws to take care of the situation and they should be applied without delay.

Restructuring becomes germaine in a situation where a people from a certain part of the country own oil wells in another part of the country.

It would have been understandable were the ownership not uneven and skewed against those on whose land the Oil is being drilled just like Gold is mined in Zamfara State.

With restructuring, these matters would be brought to a rest. Those in whose Territory, minerals are found, take charge and pay taxes to the centre and there would be no more cries of marginalization, resource control and the likes. Like in the days of yore when each region controlled its destiny so each entity will develop at its own pace.