- Oshiomole, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, stated that the generals are involved in illegal mining activities going on across the country.
A former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomole, says the federal government drive to diversify Nigeria’s economy is being sabotaged by some unnamed retired military generals.
Oshiomole, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Interior, stated that the generals are involved in illegal mining activities going on across the country.
He made the allegation when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Sampson Ekong, submitted his report before the Senate Committee on Appropriation.
He lamented that efforts by President Bola Tinubu-led government to diversify the economy would not materialise if the perennial cases of illegal mining in the country were not addressed.
Oshiomhole, who is a member of the appropriation panel, said no amount of funds appropriated to the solid minerals sub-sector would achieve any meaningful results until illegal miners are taken out of business.
He said the government is treating illegal mining with levity and not the seriousness with which it is tackling oil bunkering
He said, “The ongoing illegal mining across the country is being carried out by retired generals and we know them. Yes, we know them. (There’s) nobody in Africa who doesn’t know them. I wrote a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter when he was in office.
“This is because a team that I sent to go and conduct a primary election somewhere reported back to me, the challenge of conducting primary elections in Zamfara because of the illegal miners.The team told me that those illegal miners procure arms the same way the military is doing in South Sudan.
“Whereas the Federal Government is ruthless with people who are doing illegal oil bunkering by deploying the Joint Military Task Force to deal with them when it comes to illegal mining of solid minerals, the Federal Government changes. It’s like using different standards and I am very angry about that.
“If we have to fight this menace, we need to deploy the army even to kill anyone who is involved in the illegal pumping of oil. We should also deploy JTFs, comprising the Army, Police, and Air Force, against them.”
Oshiomhole added that those behind illegal miners equip their men to perpetrate the crime against the Nigerian state.
“They give them arms. They use choppers to come and cart away the gold and they take them out of this country and make billions of US dollars.
“Unfortunately, the Federal Government is not doing what it should be doing. I took this letter to the former president, when I was the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress and I said, call the general to give you more briefing.
“What is happening or what is supposed to happen in that part of the country was exactly what the general told me was going to happen,” he added.
He continued, “These guys have been weaponised by the illegal big men who deployed a secure territory. The weaponry was made to protect the Chinese and other foreigners and that’s why they are going to carry out the mining. Retired military officers, and army officers, are involved in it.
“My position is that we shouldn’t be lamenting. We should fix the problem. We should tell the executive. You must deploy the same force that you deployed against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.
“That same force should be deployed to deal with criminals who have money. When I say criminal, it can be a retired general, it can be a retired permanent secretary, it can be a retired trade unionist or a retired labour leader.”
The panel agreed with Oshiomhole’s submissions and urged the various security agencies to swing into action and bring the matter under control
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