January 27, (THEWILL) – Last Friday, a former Governor of Edo State and currently, member of the National Assembly representing Edo North Senatorial District, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, stirred the hornet’s nest when he accused some retired military generals of being behind illegal mining operations in Zamfara State and other parts of the country.
Senator Oshiomhole, who was at one time the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, did not mention names nor did he mince words, but his statement instantly transmitted a shock wave across the country, even though most Nigerians would wish that identities of the culprits were revealed.
The former governor also claimed that the military generals, who appear forsworn to impoverish Nigeria by stripping her of her God-given natural resources, carried out their illicit activities with the help of well-armed thugs on their pay-roll.
He warned that the present Federal Government’ plan and efforts to diversify the national economy would amount to nothing unless concrete steps were taken to end illegal mining activities in the country.
In the first place, illegal mining amounts to plain economic sabotage. Viewed all ways, it is an offence committed against the government and the people, which significantly affects the economy by depriving the government of potential tax revenue from legitimate mining operations. The result is reduced investment in infrastructure and social services.
Illegal mining activities wreak havoc on the environment, hastening degradation through destructive practices, such as the use of harmful chemicals, which often contaminates the soil and causes water pollution.
Apart from discouraging investment in the mining sector, illicit mining operations affect the growth and development of the sector. Since they often take place in rural areas, such operations end up displacing communities and disrupting their livelihoods, particularly in areas that rely heavily on agriculture.
Of course, llegal mining operations often involve corrupt practices aimed at evading government regulations and gain access to mining sites, further undermining the rule of law and economic stability.
The presence of illegal mining activities can create a breeding ground for criminal elements and contribute to instability in affected regions. Little wonder, they thrive in parts of northern Nigeria that are infested with murderous terrorist gangs today.
Just as Oshiomhole noted, the Federal Government cannot afford to continue to do nothing about the menace of illegal miners. It must do something and urgently, too, even it means using force to tackle the problem, as it did to oil thieves in the Niger-Delta. It does not matter whose ox is gored in the process.
A few individuals have responded to Oshiomhole’s claims, dismissing them as false, baseless and unfounded. Nevertheless, it is shameful that supposedly trusted and respectable citizens that society holds in high esteem, are the same people, products of an otherwise admirable institution, who have chosen to destroy the country through their illicit activities.
It is unthinkable that any military general, retired or serving, trained with taxpayers’ money and entrusted, at one time or another, with the responsibility of defending the territorial integrity of this country and protecting the lives and property of its people would choose sabotage as pay-back option.
Oshiomhole said, “My position is that we shouldn’t be lamenting. We should fix the problem. We should tell the executive. You must deploy the same force that you deployed against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.”
He is right. This is not the time to lament the situation or pretend that all is well. This is the time to act, to stand up to the enemies of our dear country, whether hidden or open and wrest the country from their evil grip.
