CHINESE CITIZENS NAB FOR ILLEGAL...

CHINESE CITIZENS NAB FOR ILLEGAL...
                                By:
                    Nurudeen Dauda
                    April 28, 2020
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
nurudeendauda24@gmail.com
nurudeendauda.blogspot.com

There have been a lot of "conspiracy theories"on the issue of killings in Zamfara state. The theories have on many occasions linked killings in Zamfara to "illegal mining" activities said to be carried out by both "locals" and "foreigners".

Permit me to insinuate that some Nigerians in collaboration with some foreign nationals have since realized that the federal government has neglected the Solid Mineral sub sector of the economy for too long due to "cheap" funds from Crude oil which make them to be milking us dry.

Zamfara State Police Command has arrested some Nigerians, two Chinese citizens and some Bulkina Faso nationals for illegal mining in the state. The Federal Government banned all mining activities in Zamfara State in last year April as part of measures to tame the tide of armed banditry and cattle rustling plaguing the state.

It sad to note that, despite our huge solid mineral resources we are the poverty capital of the world. In 2017, Nigeria overtook India to become the world’s poverty capital. India’s poor then were estimated at 73 million out of its population of 1.36 billion. Nigerian extreme poor then were estimated at 87 million of its about 200million people. The yardstick was on those who live below the threshold of $1.90 per day (Brookings Institution).

The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 does not help matters at all by vesting the control, regulation and ownership of all mineral resources in all states, to the Federal Government.This means that it is only the federal government that has power on it.

Our situation is that of Gold "in" the land and Poverty "on" the land. By many accounts more half of Zamfara State is lying on Gold. Out of its fourteen (14) Local governments, LGAs, Gold is found in about seven (7) LGAs. We were once told that the Gold deposit in Birnin LGA of Kaduna State is more than the entire Gold of South Africa.

Northern Nigeria can safely be said to be the home of solid mineral resources in Nigeria although there are solid mineral resources all over the country. "...We have 34 minerals of commercial quantities... Kogi state alone has deposits of a total of 29 mineral resources available in commercial quantities. Nasarawa state about 23, Plateau state about 21 and Kaduna state about 19 different mineral resources..." - Mr. David Adulugba, ED, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (Vanguard, Oct.,27, 2011).

In a book tittle: Industrial Development of the Northern States of Nigeria, edited by Dr. Usman Bugaje, Dr. Ladi A. Hamalai and Dr. Sabo A. Indabawa its provided the list of minerals resources in the 19 Northern States and Abuja. In the book they mentioned that there are Uranium,Diamond, Kaolin, Iron Ore and Gold etc., for Gold it is found in 9 states in Northern Nigeria: In Zamfara (Kauran Namoda, Gumi, Maru,Tsafe, Anka and Bukkuyum ); Kastina (Bakori, Faskari, Sabuwa, Malumfashi, Safana and Batsari); Kebbi (Bagudo and Ngaski); Niger (Rafi, Magama, Chanchaga, and Kontagora); Kogi (Kogi and Yaba East); Kaduna (Birnin Gwari); Kano (Sumaila); Borno (Gwoza) and Kwara (Moro).

We have heard enough of government's lip service for solid minerals development. The law is highly centralized. It is high time we look at our law of solid minerals resources again and again.

May God bless Nigeria!

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