Kogi House of Assembly on Monday recommended the shutting down of ETA ZUMA Mining Industry Ltd. over inability to explain its operations within the state.
Mr Umar Tanimu, Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee of the House probing mining industries in the state, made the recommendation during the continuation of the investigative hearing in Lokoja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ETA ZUMA Mining Industry Ltd., which has been mining in the state since 2014, failed to register with the state’s ministry of solid minerals.
The company also did not appear before the committee with any document as directed at the last hearing.
Representative of Zuma firm, Mr Francis Okere, had told the Committee that he was only asked to come and present to the house an apology letter over the misconduct of their company’s legal officer at the last hearing on Sept 21.
“We are still preparing and gathering the necessary documents you asked us to bring before you.
“I was only asked to come and tender a letter of apology to you over the attitude of our legal officer with a promise that such won’t repeat itself,” Okere assured.
But the committee felt slighted and expressed dissatisfaction with Zuma’s excuse and queried, “after the ample time we gave to your company, you still came here empty handed with no single documents?”
The committee, however, recommended that ETA ZUMA Mining Industry Ltd. be shut down with immediate effect.
Tenimu said the company would remain shut until it formally registered with Kogi State Ministry of Solid Minerals and paid the social contribution funds as well as other fees to the state.
The Chairman directed that all the 157 listed companies in the state must register with the Ministry of Solid Minerals within one month, without which they should be shut down.
NAN reports that the House during a plenary some weeks ago, set up and tasked a committee headed by Mr Umar Tenimu to look into reasons why despite the plethora of big companies operating in the state its IGR remained at a dismal and disappointing level.
The lawmakers had frowned at the modus operandi of the 157 companies and ordered that they “must be investigated” to determine what they were contributing to the coffers of the state.
