Gov. Ishaku Laments Loss of Huge Sums of Revenue by States and FG Through the Activities of Illegal Miners
Governor Ishaku visits the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite.
Gov. Ishaku who made his feelings known during a visit to the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite said it is regrettable that illegal miners were smiling to the banks every day while both the federal and state governments were losing huge sums of money.
Ishaku said mineral resources development was a critical area of attention for his administration and that he had to create a ministry of mineral resources in order for the state to maximise the benefits of its mineral endowments..
He called for urgent steps to be taken by the Federal Government to check the activities of illegal miners so that both the federal and state governments can enjoy the full benefits of their God-,given mineral resources.
Ishaku who said he came on the visit to the ministry to know what his administration was doing right or doing wrong in the implementation of its policy on mineral resources said at the end of the visit that he had gained some useful insight into what the Federal Government was doing at its own level.
Speaking during the visit, the Minister urged all the state governors to emulate Gov Ishaku by seeking to update themselves on the developments in the country’s minerals resources sector.
He urged state governments to develop a data base on the sector and to also be guided by the Federal Government’s rich stock of data on the minerals sector.
Ishaku said mineral resources development was a critical area of attention for his administration and that he had to create a ministry of mineral resources in order for the state to maximise the benefits of its mineral endowments..
He called for urgent steps to be taken by the Federal Government to check the activities of illegal miners so that both the federal and state governments can enjoy the full benefits of their God-,given mineral resources.
Ishaku who said he came on the visit to the ministry to know what his administration was doing right or doing wrong in the implementation of its policy on mineral resources said at the end of the visit that he had gained some useful insight into what the Federal Government was doing at its own level.
Speaking during the visit, the Minister urged all the state governors to emulate Gov Ishaku by seeking to update themselves on the developments in the country’s minerals resources sector.
He urged state governments to develop a data base on the sector and to also be guided by the Federal Government’s rich stock of data on the minerals sector.
African Countries Tasked to Expose the Region’s Potentials in Mining.
Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku says African Countries have been encouraged to set up a lobby group that would be saddled with the responsibility of creating awareness on Africa’s potentials to the rest of the world.
Gov. Darius Ishaku at the Conference of Minerals Mining Countries in Frankfurt, Germany.
Governor Darius Ishaku revealed this to newsmen at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja in an interview shortly after his return from the just concluded Conference of Minerals Mining Countries in Frankfurt Germany.
Darius Ishaku who was the Chairman of the African Round Table Conference said the conference which was tagged ‘Mining Investment In Europe’ was to set out a model that would help African countries, particularly, Nigeria and indeed Taraba to invest in the mining sector, adding that the sector in the country has been laying fallow irrespective of being blessed with some of the rearest minerals in the World.
He maintained that, the International Conference equally served as an eye opener to meet with global expertriats with a view to knowing the best standard practices and procedures in the Mining sector.
Governor Darius Ishaku however said that, some of Minerals that were hitherto taken for granted are now among the most highly priced and mentioned silver as one of such minerals, explaining that, the silver sample he took along with him to Germany from Taraba which is easily obtained in the country, requires deep excarvation in Europe.
Accordingly, as the Chairman of the African Round Table Conference of Minerals Mining Countries, Arc. Darius Ishaku said the continent has resolved to tackle fear and insecurity which he revealed has been the major problem, as well as scaring foreign miners from investing in the mining sector in Africa, lamenting that some of the problems stems from the negative reports from the western media bothering on the activities of Boko Haram insurgents, Herdsmen and Farmers clash.
Governor Ishaku expressed satisfaction on how he was able to use the opportunity provided during the Forum to disabuse the minds of the International Community from thinking that Taraba State is enmeshed in the Boko Haram crisis.
Simiarly, he called on those in authority in Africa on the need to do more than talking to establish the fact that their region like Taraba is a ready haven for good investment in the solid minerals.
Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (Rtd), the Chairman of the Task Force.
In a remarkable crackdown on illegal mining operations within Taraba State, the Taraba State Special Task Force on Environmental Protection and Illegal Mining has successfully recovered a staggering 22,373 kilograms of blue sapphire and other precious gemstones. This decisive action has not only safeguarded the state’s invaluable natural resources but also led to the apprehension of more than 100 illegal miners, including foreign nationals, over the past two months.
Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (Rtd), the Chairman of the Task Force, disclosed that this substantial cache of sapphire was concealed in Mayo Sena, located in Taraba State’s Sardauna Local Government Area. The illegal miners were apprehended at various locations across the state, shedding light on the extensive reach of their illicit activities.
General Faransa expressed profound concern regarding the severe damage inflicted on the state’s environment by both legal and illegal mining operations. This includes the indiscriminate felling of rosewood trees, often referred to as Madrid. To address this grave issue, an Executive Order has been enacted, suspending all mining and logging activities within the state. General Faransa issued a stern warning to those involved in such activities to immediately cease their operations.
He further lamented the degradation of Taraba State’s arable lands due to unregulated mining, which has led to some communities abandoning farming altogether. The impact has been so severe that farming, a vital livelihood for many, has become unsustainable in certain regions of the state.
Moreover, General Faransa criticized the exploitation of young individuals as low-cost labor within the mining industry, resulting in a concerning rise in the number of school dropouts. He revealed, “Over 20,000 individuals, both legal and illegal, are engaged in mining activities in Taraba State. Illegitimate miners often masquerade as laborers under legitimate mining companies.”
One particularly distressing example was observed in the Arufu and Akwana communities of the Wukari Local Government Area. General Faransa described the dire situation, stating, “What we saw is a sad tale. These communities have been excavated and destroyed by the activities of both legal and illegal miners. The land in these communities is no longer suitable for farming or even building. They have now abandoned farming completely, and every household in these communities has turned to mining.”
Additionally, he highlighted the concerning exploitation of teenagers in Dogon Yasu by mining companies, who employ them as inexpensive labor. “When we interviewed most of them, we discovered that they are being given N500 or N1000 a day. And that is why you see that there is an increase in the number of dropouts in Northern Nigeria,” General Faransa expressed, underscoring the urgency of addressing this issue.
General Faransa emphasized that the state is not opposed to legitimate investments in the mining sector. Instead, their primary concern lies in ensuring due diligence and robust environmental protection measures are in place to safeguard Taraba State’s precious natural resources for future generations.