The member representing Jos South/ Jos East Federal Constituency, and Deputy chairman Anti-corruption Committee, Rep. Dachung Bagos has faulted the consideration of the Federal government of Nigeria to ban the use of motorcycles and mining activities within the country.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, 21st July 2022 it was reported by media houses across the country that the Nigerian government is considering the ban on motorcycles and mining activities across the country to curb insecurity challenges in the nation.
The lawmaker expressed this on Friday night while appearing as a guest on a program, Politics Today on Channels Television.
He stated that 50% of his constituents especially the youths are miners, and they resulted to mining due to the lack of a better means of earning a livelihood, even as, the environment is not favorable to them, they can not get a license and funding.
The government should have allocated some amount of money that miners can access to enable them use it for mining activities, the laws, and conditions are something else which they cannot access the funds.
The lawmaker cited 40 communities under the control of illegal miners, most of the issues that have to do with insecurity and illegal miners are not within the urban centers but majorly in the rural areas; they always chase out the villagers then occupy their land.
“I have over 40 communities within Plateau state, especially around Riyom Local Government area axis, that illegal mining has been ongoing, and the people have not been able to go back”, he said.
The legislator raised concern over the allocation of a primary school for the illegal miners in Riyom Local Government where in 2012, a former Senator was killed, the illegal miners are still operating till date. They established a community there, our people were sacked out of the community. Bagos reiterated
Bagos suggested that a ban should be the last resort, “they have not told us what plans they have or brought out any alternative means of livelihood for the people, okada or banning mining should have been the last resort” he said.
