By Prof. J A Omoleye
In my earlier open letter to your Excellency, I highlighted three known reasons for the bloodshed in Northern Nigeria and proffered a godly and objective advice to solve it.
However, the recent information circulating has revealed the fourth reason which tends to make the whole picture clearer: the mining of minerals, especially Lithium. This is not a news to the Government.
The narrative is the collaboration between ex-millitary generals, some local chiefs, some politicians with some Chinese to get rid of the local settlers of mineral rich locations using bandits for free unchallenged mining and subsequent shipping to China Refineries.
If this circulating news is true, there is a need for effective solution to this challenge. The licensing of some private mineral refineries in Nigeria is a commendable step to solve this problem but it is not a sufficient approach because it will not stop shedding of blood by the bandits since the mining of minerals either for exportation or local refineries without negotiation and compensation to the locals can only be through the heartless slaughtering of the locals using bandits.
It will only stop exportation of raw mineral out of Nigeria. It is not a crime for ex-millitary generals to engage in mineral mining business, neither is it a crime for the Chinese to be interested in Nigerian minerals but there is something wrong doing such business with any form of illegality for any reason.
The International regulation is for the miners to negotiate with local dwellers, pay the agreed amount for relocation, resettlement, etc and of course pay what is due the Government.
Any aspect of our constitution that is against this step is faulty and needs an urgent review because the security of the lives of Nigerians is priority. The role of the Government is to enforce the law without any compromise. If this is done there will be no need for bandit protection for miners nor killing of local dwellers. If there is any need for protection of miners, this must be through official government security agents.
This is the practice in other Nations. Why must it be different in Nigeria? Our appeal to President Bola Tinubu is to complement the commendable establishment of state police with the enforcement of both international and national regulations with respect to mineral minning in Nigeria and save us from these pain, sorrow, panic and subsequent evil consequences of shedding the blood of innocent Nigerians. God bless Nigeria.