The Federal Government has dismissed claims by the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, that it violated the principle of federal character by siting a gold refinery in Lagos.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development on media, Segun Tomori in Abuja.
The statement says the refinery is a wholly private-sector initiative and not a Federal Government project.
It describes the allegation as entirely false and based on a misrepresentation of facts.
According to the statement, the proposed gold refinery is the initiative of Kian Smith, a one-hundred per cent privately owned mining company, established to promote the development of Nigeria’s local gold industry through innovative practices.
The statement stresses that at no time did the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, announce the establishment or ownership of any gold refinery by the Federal Government in Lagos or any other part of the country.
It adds that the minister was clear that the refinery is privately owned, noting that more gold refineries are also being developed in other parts of Nigeria by private investors.
It congratulates the founder and Managing Director of Kian Smith, Mrs. Nere Emiko, describing the project as the result of years of perseverance, enterprise and leadership.
The statement explains that the refinery aligns with the value-addition policy of the Federal Government, which discourages the export of raw minerals and promotes local processing and manufacturing.
It notes that the policy has attracted major investments, including lithium and rare-earth processing plants in Nasarawa State and Abuja, generating foreign capital inflow and thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
It expresses concern over what it described as a decline in the quality of the group’s interventions on national issues.
It questions how the Federal Government could compel a private company to locate its business in any particular part of the country, noting that such decisions are based on operational and marketing strategies.
The statement reaffirms its commitment to creating an enabling environment for private-sector investment in the mining sector and calls on the Northern Elders Forum to support national economic development efforts.
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