BAN ON MINNING ACTIVITIES: OVER 10 THOUSAND MINERS OPERATE IN NIGER 07-09-23.
By: Sadiq Aminu Over ten thousand miners are said to have been operating in Niger state.
Of the number about five hundred of them have registered with the Federal Government under the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.
Chairman Nigeria Union of Mining Workers Niger state Council Comrade Adamu Musa Nasko made this known in an interview with Newsmen in Minna.
Comrade Adamu Musa Nasko explained that most of the miners in Niger state are operating with their operational licence and wondered why the state Governor Mohammed Umar Bago recently announced the banning of all mining activities in all the twenty five local government councils.
He descrbed the decision as hasty and appeaeled to the Niger state Government to rescind its decision to enable them sit in a round table to iron out this problem.
Comrade Adamu Musa Nasko lamented that the action by Niger state government will further create unemployment among youths in addition to jeopadising the livelihood of large number of women whom he said are widows trying to provide for their family.
He however maintained that it is also capable of creating another security threat apart from the existing one which he said must be addressed at all cost.
Accoding to him as stakeholders in the development of Niger state they will be happy if this problem is resolved aso quickly as possible to avoid the loss of revenue by the state government arising the suspension of mining avtivities across the twenty five local government councils.