Dev’t : Nasarawa Speaker tasks mining communities on peace, support for investors
Dev’t : Nasarawa Speaker tasks mining communities on peace, support for investors
Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Dr Danladi Jatau, has tasked all mining communities in the state and stakeholders in mining areas to support investors coming into their areas for mining activities.
This, the speaker said, was to bolster the overall development of their communities and the state at large.
The speaker made the call on Friday when he visited Igwo community in Agwada, Kokona LGA of the State to intervene on disputes between the people and Black Gen New Energy Ltd, a mining company operating in the area.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports tha Igwo community is one of the communities in the state blessed with natural resources,especially Lithium which is currently being mined and processed by Black Gen New Energy Ltd.
VMT NEWS also reports that there is a misunderstanding as three communities namely; Agbadu, Agaza and Egboka, are complaining of alleged taking over of their ancestral lands by the firm, a development that prompted the Speaker to intervene.
Jatau, whom the place is part of his constituency, visited the community to hear from them and see things for himself with a view to resolving the disputes amicably.
He said, ” I have visited the area following complaints and tension being generated by the situation by the communities,” he said
Jatau said that if the people give room for crises, they would be the ones to be at the receiving end.
“Hence the need for the host communities to keep all sentiments aside and unite for the benefit of their communities,” he added.
Jatau appreciated God for blessing the area with natural resources and thanked the effort of Gov. Abdullahi Sule for attracting investors to the state.
The speaker lamented, “When brothers fight, visitors inherit their properties,” decrying the lack of proper communication between the parties to the disputes.
” Selfishness is the major cause as everyone is struggling and fighting for his personal gains instead of the overall community’s interest,” he said.
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Jatau called for calm and understanding among the people while urging them to embrace peace at all times.
Earlier, Mr Ayuba Osu, the Chairman of Agwadu community, and Abraham Kwose, the representative of Egboka community as well as Saidu Haruna of Agaza community, said that the situation was worrisome.
They said that they were blinded in what was happening in their environments in the mining activities by Black Gen New Energy Ltd.
On his part, the company’s Liaison Officer, Mr Emmanuel Bitrus, who said that the lands were leased for some years but not taken over as alleged by the communities.
He said that the company passed through all due processes and it was fulfilling all its _Community Development Agreements’ with stakeholders’ involvement.
