Zamfara state governor Bello Matawalle posted about it on his tweet page, he said today. The governor calls on the Federal Government to be proactive in the extraction of precious minerals in the state.
Presented specimens of gold and other precious minerals unearthed from solid mineral deposits in Zamfara State to the President and C-in-C of the Armed Forces HE @Mbuhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the governor, the state of Zamfara is blessed with solid mineral deposits, and he states that the state possessed 60% of the total solid mineral deposits in the country and if we harness them, we can add more to the nation’s economy and eventually reduce total dependence on oil.
He said that more than 70% of the precious mining activities in Nigeria are carried out by illegal miners, especially from Asian countries in collusion with members of the local community.
Governor Bello Matawalle also stated that illegal mining activities have been at the root of community violence, insecurity, health, and environmental challenges in the state.
“The first is that it destroys farmland and distorts the livelihood of farming communities. The trenches dug for these mining activities are abandoned once the exploitation is finished. Thus, they become death traps and easy entry points for devastating ravine erosion. In the case of communities in Zamfara state, many of these mines are contaminated with impurities.
In this case, the gold ash was intermingled with lead deposits. In some cases, some of the impurities are even radioactive in nature. Ignorant members of the community therefore go to these mines and come into contact with the contaminants.”
Governor Bello Matawalle urged the federal government to be proactive in avoiding the health, environmental and safety challenge that is prevalent in the Niger Delta area of the country as a result of the presence of oil.
Governor Bello Matawalle used this opportunity to advise the federal government on the necessary steps that must be taken to help control the growing insecurity in the Northwest.
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