Alhaji Kabir Kankara, the National President of Miners Association of Nigeria, has advised miners operating in Zamfara to exercise more patience over the suspension of mining activities in the state.
TBI Africa said Kankara gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
The Federal Government announced the suspension of all forms of mining activities in Zamfara on April 7.
The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Muhammed Adamu, gave the order, saying the action was part of measures against banditry in the state.
He said intelligence report established a relationship between the activities of bandits and illicit miners with each mutually re-enforcing the other.
Kankara said that the security agents in the state (the police) had assured him that the suspension would not last forever.
He said the association and the inspector-general of police discussed the issue in Kaduna recently.
” We also met with the commissioners of police in Zamfara and Kebbi concerning the suspension and they gave us the assurance that the suspension is not forever or ban of mining activities in the state.
” We are worried because no timeframe was given for the suspension to be lifted as miners make their living through mining.
” Mining is one sector that can employ many hands. Presently, most of the youth affected in Zamfara as result of the suspension are hungry,” he said.
Kankara said that a delegation of the association would be meeting with the inspector – general of police soon to find a way forward.
He urged the affected miners to remain law-abiding citizens considering that the security of lives and property are the priority of any government.
