Simon Utebor, Yenagoa
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence
Corps, Bayelsa State Command, has deployed no fewer than 100 fully armed
operatives in Bayelsa to protect solid minerals.
The corps personnel are to work in
concert with Licensed Mineral Operators of the Federal Ministry of Solid
Minerals to tackle all forms of illegal mining activities in the state.
Inaugurating the group at the state
headquarters of the corps on Friday, the state commandant, NSCDC, Mr.
Desmond Agu, said the deployment was part of the measures to protect the
nation’s critical assets to shore up revenue for the Federal
Government.
He said, “Already, at the federal
level, the Federal Government, through the Comptroller General of the
corps, has inaugurated the group, giving us a charge to be protecting
solid mineral resources, particularly those that are being mined
illegally.
“As you will recall, there has been a
great concern now about the drop in revenue. The Federal Government is
now looking inward to see how it can generate revenue. Nigeria is a rich
country blessed with solid minerals, oil and gas, agriculture. The
solid mineral is a new area that has fallen under our area of
responsibility.
“You will discover that almost all
states of the federation have one form of solid minerals or the other.
Some have yet to be discovered, others have been discovered. You might
be wondering while this group is formed in Bayelsa when you only hear of
oil in Bayelsa.”
He said the lands in Bayelsa, through
the geological survey carried out have different forms of solid minerals
that are embedded in them.
He said the group was formed in view of
the fact that illegal miners had been taking advantage in the past
because not much attention was paid to the sector.
Agu added, “So, the Federal Government
has now formed what is regarded as licensed mineral operators. So, only
those who have licences are now allowed to mine solid minerals. Our own
job is to sanitise the industry, provide the necessary security and
arrest illegal miners.
“This is just a group of them. They are
about 100 personnel. Some have started working and they are in various
local governments in the state. We have gunboats by the riverside to aid
our operations. They will be going from local government to local
government to carry out this.”
The commandant urged the team to be dedicated and be alive to their duties by putting the country first in their assignment.
He warned against any compromise, aiding
and abetting illegalities, saying that any operative caught indulging
in illegalities would be seriously sanctioned.
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