Zamfara govt begins own gold reserve

<!– Gold bars and precious stones, well packaged from Zamfara –>

R-L: Buhari and Matawalle check the GOLD Bars and Precious Stones from Zamfara

By Abubakar Ahmed

Zamfara government on Tuesday, said it has started its gold reserve to reduce dependence on federal allocations.

This is coming after Governor Matawalle visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House to show some of the gold bars and precious stones.

Alhaji Rabiu Garba, Zamfara’s Commissioner for Finance, told journalists in Gusau that, although, there was a federal government ban on mining activities in the country, “the state government was able to purchase the commodity from licensed miners.

“At the moment, we have a pure gold reserve of over 30 kilos and as time goes by, we will continue to invest in this regard so that, like other states and other nations, we will be having our mineral reserves and ours will be in gold.

“When the ban is lifted and mining activities resume fully, we are hopeful that we will be receiving royalties from miners while the federal government will also be giving us something.”

He explained that the gold reserve would continue to be strengthened and maintained by the state government and would only be used at the right time.

Zamfara is one of the states of the federation blessed with abundant solid minerals which are largely being exploited by illegal miners from within and outside the country.

NAN