Stakeholders in the mining sector in Osun State have been advised on the need for a collaboration in order for the State to fully reap the enormous economic benefits in the sector.
This was the outcome of a meeting between stakeholders in the mining sector and the Revenue Mobilization And Fiscal Commission (RMAFC).
RMAFC officials were in the State on a nationwide monitoring of revenue collections and activities of miners at the State and local government levels.
The official said that it was unfortunate that Osun is not fully reaping the benefits of the mining sector, which is among the largest in the country.
Speaking, Wahab Oyeniyi, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Mineral Resources decried the activities of artisanal miners, which he described as very unfortunate.
Oyeniyi maintained that Osun must at all cost look for means to take full charge of the economic benefits of the mining sector, adding that it would go a long way in helping the State to grow its economy.
While noting that the state had an enormous deposit of gold and other solid minerals, he hinted that the Osun mining sector alone had the capacity to drive the economic fortunes of the State to the next level.
In his address, the RMAFC Commissioner for the State, Gboyega Oladele described Osun as a gold mining hub.
Oladele noted that if the sector is fully harnessed, it is capable of providing jobs for thousands of youths.
He condemned in strong terms the activities of illegal miners, which according to him should be checked.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Adebimpe Ogunlumade, in a remark, stressed the need for both the Federal and the State Governments to take decisive actions on the solid mineral deposit in Osun.
