The Miners Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to urgently tackle the issue of illegal mining in the country so as to prevent the avoidable deaths resulting from it. In a statement signed by the associations President, Alhaji Sani Shehu, the body called on the government to convene a national conference to check the ugly incident through public enlightenment.The association said the latest campaign was as a result of the recent collapse of mining pit in Zamfara State, which reportedly killed four men, who were into illegal mining activities. The association explained that through a national conference, government would be able to educate the stakeholders on the techniques for sustainable mining, adding that the conference should involve the host communities, relevant ministries, security agencies, state and local governments, the press and other stakeholders.The statement further argued that it was the responsibility of government to protect its citizens from environmental danger. The statement said, "As a matter of responsibility, the government should protect her citizens from this menace that is detrimental to their lives and harmful to the environment. "Based on the above, the Miners Association of Nigeria hereby proposes that government should urgently convene a national conference on illegal mining in order to discuss and proffer lasting solution to the problem." Over 500 children died last year in Zamfara State from lead poisoning as a result of illegal mining activities. Meanwhile, the President, Association of Miners and Processors of Barite, Chief Steve Alao, has appealed to the Federal Government not to allow the importation of barite into the country. He said the appeal became necessary as a result of a certain organisations attempt to lobby the government for the importation of the mineral. In a statement on Friday, Alao said encouraging such importation would lead to the closure of processing firms in Nigeria and complete shut-down of production, loss for local investors and unemployment. He said, "For now, that is what they live on; that is what they use to train their family and feed themselves. But by the time you grant waiver to a company who is a major buyer of the commodity, whatever you produce they will buy it at any price because it has enough stock. "They will even refuse to buy. So there is a lot of economic hazards that will come to Nigeria. The artisanal miners will also be out of business. And the processing plants we have in Nigeria today will all be shut down." Alao explained that the importation of barites into the country would contravene the Nigerian Content Act of 2010 that stipulated that 90 per cent of products in the oil and gas industry be produced locally to strengthen the nations economy.
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