Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, has said critical steps need to be taken to tackle illegal mining which constitutes economic and security challenges to the country in most parts of the North, just as oil bunkering does in the South.
Lalong disclosed this yesterday, in a press statement signed by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Dr. Makut Simon Macham, after his contribution to eliminating oil bunkering in the country at the on-going Annual National Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association, (NBA), held in Lagos State.
According to him, the losses resulting from illegal mining and carting away of precious solid minerals constitute a huge loss to Governments at all levels.
The governor observed that due to the focus on crude oil, not much attention is devoted to solid minerals theft thereby leaving illegal miners from within and outside the country to have a field day in ripping off the country and devastating local communities.
Lalong said it is on this ground that he has remained an advocate of the inclusion of solid minerals in both the Exclusive and Concurrent list, in order to enable States properly assert control over mining activities, which in many cases result in criminality and provide funding for bandits, terrorists and their collaborators.
Lending his voice on the issue of enhancing the security of lives and properties, Lalong said the quest for State Police was germaine and crucial, but needs to be guaranteed by factors including the capacity to train, deploy, monitor, and regularly pay the personnel in order to avoid a situation where people with arms are owed salaries and turn out to constitute another security problem.
Lalong also disclosed that so much has been done to restore peace in Plateau State, which has brought back tourism and investors as well as enhanced the creative industry and sports, which are synonymous with Jos and contributing significantly to the economy.
