If the revelations by Senators is anything to go by, insecurity has tentacles that are far-reaching, while deceptive business practices is causing the country to lose millions of dollars by the day.
First, members of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts are alleging that Dangote, BUA groups maybe illegally mining diamond in Edo under the guise of cement production.
There have been similar unverified allegations that hundreds of trucks of a cement company that leave Okaba area of Ankpa in Kogi State daily mine much more than they make the people and government believe.
There are also allegations that in Zamfara, foreigners, especially the Chinese, are fanning insecurity to keep locals busy killing themselves while making a kill in diamond mining.The Senate Committee also expressed dismay at the absolute security enjoyed by Chinese nationals amidst the pervasive insecurity related to illegal mining in Zamfara.
Chairman of the Committee Senator Matthew Urhoghide and his Deputy, Senator Ibrahim Hadeja spoke while interacting with officials of the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and tasked them to come with bills that would open up the sector for legal operations.
Urhoghide said an Austrian revealed to him ten years back when he travelled to that country that the quality of deposits of diamond around Okpilla was high.
‘So do not be surprised today, Dangote BUA are all in that place. You will think it is cement , they are mining diamond.
“I was in Austria about 10 years ago, an Austrian asked me where I am from, I told him I am from Edo and we were trying to look up Edo and pointed out that it is between Auchi and Okpilla.”
“The Liberian civil war was all about illegal Diamond. What we require is a bank-able data. They want to know the type of minerals resources, the level and quantity available.
“They are the ones to give you bankable data, everywhere in the world, it is the major companies that come to do the exploration
“If today, you give them bankable data, they will not take it, Let them come in, half of what is taken out there including the big time Diamond marchants are illegal there has to be a market.
The Vice Chairman expressed concern that the Chinese nationals numbering over 400 are getting security protection amidst illegal mining in Zamfara.
“They are paying for protection, they said no flying zone, what is no flying zone, things are happening there.
“In Nasarawa here, they arrested one guy called Dan China, he has 32 Chinese persons working for him, this guy had a rail track coming from where he is extracting minerals.
According to Hadeja, artisanal mining in Zamfara was carried out by children which later attracted older members of the family from which they prospered and owned houses, cars and wore good clothings.
He said overtime organized group took over the mining of gold in Zamfara and created problems by blocking the locals from accessing the gold which they take to Dubai and sell at $1,600 per kilogram.
“The same people now brought in mechanisation to the exclusion of the community, they started extracting these solid minerals in huge quantity.
“That is why they created the instability there to keep the people in check because the local were getting restive.
“In the past, it was their kids that were doing the mining, they got money, they bought cloths, they bought cars and build houses but now you say no more and brought in a heavy duty truck to harvest tonnes of gold and you are just there looking at them.
“Once in a while you see people arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport with 32kg of solid gold, heading for Dubai at $1600 per kilo.
“If you go to Dubai today with Babanriga and checked in suitcases, you will be approached by people who ask you, do you have gold?
“It is not Illegal, so long as you pay the tax, they ask you, do you have gold, are you from Zamfara?
The committe also querried the ministry over non-remitances of N2.8bn solid minerals revenue generated between the month of January to December 2016 into the Federation Account.
The panel however vacated the query by the office of the accountant general seeking the ministry’s explanation.
The panel challenged the ministry to spearhead bills that would make major players participate in legal exploitation of the nation’s solid minerals for the benefit of the people.
▪︎ Additional report by National Update