Atiku will diversify economy through mining sector – Aniagwu

The Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Mr Charles Aniagwu said the Presidential Candidate of the party Atiku Abubakar would diversify the economy through the mining sector.

He also promised to work with state governments where these minerals are deposited towards revamping the whole mining sector.

Speaking in an interview on AIT Policy Dialogue with the theme “Ending Illegal Mining in Nigeria” Aniagwu said Atiku and his running mate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, were very clear that industrialisation and exploitation of mineral resources would be given priority in their administration.

The PDP Presidential Campaign Spokesman further said there would be a proper policing of what people are mining, what they are selling and the value the country is going to get so that the miner as a businessman is not going to operate at a loss, the Federation that owns the mineral will not also operate at a loss.

He said: “We have in our policy document clearly stated how we are going to revitalise the solid minerals sector and get it to begin to play very critical role in contributing to the nation’s GDP.

“A situation where government depends only on mining licences and the little money they get from the sector is not good enough for a country seeking additional revenue to fund its infrastructural deficits.

“We are going to be much more interested in the quantity of the deposits and the ability of such companies to be able to mine and exploit the solid minerals and we are also going to be involved in understanding the value-chain in addition to industrialising the sector,” Aniagwu said.