NGO, Stakeholders Accuse FG, Others Of ‘Exploiting’ Mining Communities

A Non-Governmental Organization, Global Rights, has accused the federal government and critical stakeholders of exploiting mining communities, including taking decisions without carrying host communities along. Addressing participants at the Third West African Mining Host Community “Indaba” in Abuja on Wednesday, the Executive Director, Global Rights, Abiodun Baiyewu, said, due to faulty governance systems, the extraction and trade of the resources found in mining communities often fuel conflicts, corruption and violence, hence the need to find solutions to the menace.  She said: “Annually, across several platforms across the world, governments and mining companies gather to decide our fate. The fate of our ancestral lands and of our children yet unborn. At these confabs, the people most impacted – extractive host communities are excluded. How do you decide for us without us? Afterall, we are the ones who know where the shoe pinches. We are the ones whose lands are desecrated, whose resilience are weakened. We are the ones. “So, we chose to represent ourselves, to give ourselves agency to decide our own future as the African Mining Vision and African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights has accorded us in Sections 20-22. This annual gathering unites us as a people to deliberate and find solutions to the common challenges that we are confronted with as West Africans. It is a platform for open and inclusive dialogue where ideas, experiences, and solutions are shared collectively. “We have also chosen to invite governments and mining companies. Perhaps, if they listen to us and dialogue with us, they might finally understand the powers that we have so generously bestowed on them are to protect our rights. Perhaps, they might understand afresh that the security of states start with the security of the people within the state, and adopt a human security paradigm to address the challenges around the efficient exploitation of our resources. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the wealth of West Africa’s minerals benefits the many, rather than the few and that it becomes a catalyst for peace, development and progress.” Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, said there is need for the creation of a unique tax force for the mining sector to combat insecurity and other issues affecting it.

Sultan, Kukah seek community involvement in tackling security challenges

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, has called for increased community representatives’ involvement in solving the lingering security challenges facing the nation. Abubakar, who was represented by Dr Jabbi Kilgore, the District Head of Kingori made the call during a town hall  organised by the Kukah Centre for Peace in collaboration with Global Right, an NGO on Tuesday in Sokoto. The Sultan said that bad governance, injustice and inequality were some factors contributing to insecurity. He enjoined leaders at all levels to be fair in dealing with their subjects and know that they would give an account of their stewardship after leaving this world. In his keynote address, Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah also identified religious intolerance, fanaticism and injustice as some of the factors responsible for insecurity in the country. Kukah also said  that sectionalism, fanaticism, injustice and religious intolerance were responsible for insecurity in the country. He urged stakeholders at the meeting to come together to form common front in curbing the menace saying insecurity know no religion. Earlier,  Governor Ahmad Aliyu of Sokoto state, represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Torankawa rreiterated the commitment of the government to partner with groups and association in promoting peaceful coexistence in the state. The Sokoto state commissioner of police,  Ali Kaigama, also emphasised on the need for public support to community policing drives initiated by the Nigerian Police. Kaigama said the police will continue to partner with the Nigerian army and other sister security agencies in tackling insecurity in the country. In his presentation, Prof. Tukur Baba, the Dean Faculty of Social Sciences in Federal University Birnin Kebbi dwelled on factors that promoted insecurity from pre-independece. Baba advised authorities to change the land use act, taxations and consider global, regional, national and community approaches to holistically deal with the problems of insecurity. He described the assessment by the National Bureau of Statics revealing the poverty index as glaring. ”This is the effect of insecurity, maladministration and poor people attitude in the northwest,” he said.

Grids deployment to small communities expanding productive activities- FFEAA

The Foundation for Economic Advocacy and Advancement (FFEAA) has said that thousands of grids deployed in small communities across Nigeria has increased electricity generated and expansion in productive activities. FFEAA said this while reacting to recent press release issued by the Coalition of West African Investigative Journalists (COWAFIJ) calling for investigation into the spending of over $550million repayable grant by Nigeria Electrification Project, NEP, a unit in Rural Electrification Agency, REA. FFEAA in a statement signed by its National Publicity Officer, Mr. Dolapo Olanrewaju described the entire press conference by COWAFIJ as an attempt at ridiculing the giant strides of the REA under Engr Salihijo Ahmad. FFEAA describing COWAFIJ as an arm of the opposition committed to rubbishing the Federal Government stride in the power sector,l.  The NGO reminded critics of the World Bank efforts at providing alternative sources of power for rural electrification in the country through an additional commitment of $750m grant to Nigeria. World Bank’s Director of Strategy and Operations for Western Central African Region,Elizabeth Huybens had announced the plan of the World Bank to further strengthen Nigeria’s rural electrification success by an additional $750M, during her visit to inspect the 60KwP Mini-Grid Project in Kilankwa Community in Abuja. FFEAA maintains that the successes of Nigeria’s Rural Electrification drive have been hinged on the leadership of Engr Ahmad Salihijo, who has constantly pursued the vision and goal of the agency through unalloyed hunger to fulfill the dreams of millions of Nigerians who desire to be connected to electricity. He said “As of today, millions of kids can study at night, because of access to electricity. There can be no modern life without electricity and it is hard to think about reducing poverty without access to electricity,” the statement added. FFEAA reiterated the commendations made by Rep Philip Agbese (APC), the lawmaker representing Ado/ Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, during his courtesy visit to REA.  “During the courtesy visit, the Honorable had applauded Engr Salihijo Ahmad on the agency’s post-subsidy removal initiatives, in providing solar energy alternatives to Nigerians in a bid to cushion the effect of subsidy removal on businesses, farmers and households. FFEAA alleges that the untiring propaganda against the Engr Salihijo led REA, are the attempts of opposition mischief makers, and corrupt individuals in the power sector who are currently being investigated for various degrees of fraud by the EFCC, and who wish to bring down Engr Salihijo.  “They insist that after a flawless administration of the World Bank funds by Engr Salihijo and his REA team, and a clean sheet of affairs, the Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima GCON offered him an audience to provide an update on the advancements within the nation’s renewable energy sector. “During the meeting with the Vice President, the CEO of REA, presented a comprehensive overview of REA’s strategic initiatives, notable achievements in Nigeria’s off-grid renewable energy sector, and outlined the agency’s proposed measures to mitigate the impacts of the recent removal of fuel subsidy,” He said.