Joseph Erunke
16 July 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA – THE Miners Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to stop allocating money meant for solid minerals development to the Special Intervention Fund on Solid Minerals.
The association said the Solid Minerals Commission was the body meant to receive any money concerning development of solid minerals.
The organisation’s position came amidst last week’s revelation by the Senator Ahmad Lawan-led Senate Committee on Public Accounts that N44 billion was missing from the Federal Government’s Special Intervention Fund on Solid Minerals.
The committee discovered the missing funds during an interactive session it had with officials of Federal Ministry of Finance; Central Bank of Nigeria and Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.
The association’s National President, Alhaji Sani Shehu, reacting to the development, weekend, in Abuja, said: “There is no basis for the Federal Government to keep sending money meant for development of solid minerals to Special Intervention Fund, when the Solid Minerals Commission, the body meant to carry out functions in respect of development of the nation’s solid minerals, is in existence.”
He urged the government to forthwith, halt depositing money meant for development of solid minerals in Special Intervention Fund account, but to pay the money into the account of newly-established Solid Minerals Commission.
