MINDING THE MINERAL SITES : THE JEOPARDY IN GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS
By Taye Olaniyi
The human mind plays plethora of roles in the geopolitical success stories or failure in mining the various minerals at the various mining sites strewn over spaces and time.
The geographical phenomenon of the minerals especially in the bowels of Mother Earth represents a means of appreciating the magnificence of the Almighty God.
However and most times, the human mind hardly sees the richness and greatness of God in all things created for man’s best advantages.
I do ponder and revere the Almighty God when in wonderment I think of the why of minerals at where, place, what and how who should make best use of them.
To me and for me, I concur with an esoteric statement that: ” In minerals God sleeps, in plants God awakens, in animals God walks and in man God thinks”.
The human mind can like God Almighty be applied and be reordered to mine the minerals in his geographic space to the advancement of all thereis in the communities where such are buried.
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As a continuum, the human mind may be positively directed in thoughts and thus walks amidst other animals, awake, admire, and make best use of plants for his survival and finally explore and mine the minerals underneath the earth.
Mining of minerals require great utilisation of the mind as to what is the nature of the minerals to be mined and for what purposes.
Mining of minerals also requires geomorphological, geological, hydrological, meteorological and numerous sociocultural and scientific processes and mindedness.
Mining processes in numerous years past may be too archaic and dangerous to the lives of peoples in places of today’s world.
The socio-cultural and communal lives of the people, traditional, religious rulership and leadership of old and the meanings usually adduced to them may somehow be at abeyance with modern day demands for mining the minerals with less environmental hazards.
By the way , who rightly or wrongfully own the minerals and mineral sites and to whom should their minings be of socio-economic benefits?
In terms of the geospatial locations of minerals and mines should the community, local, state and federal government lay claim to the minerals, mines, the mining processes and the revenues drivable from them?
Instances abound all over the world but most especially here in Nigeria that for one reason or the other , the pecuniary interests of the powerful ones overshadow what should be beneficial to all from the mining of the nation’s minerals.
Certain powerful individuals mostly highly placed political stalwarts and government officials in collaboration with foreigners and companies are being alleged of owning and engaging in illegal minings to the detriment of the economic development of the country as a whole.
It is today alleged that illegal miners like cabals and cartels have greatly swindled Nigeria to the abyss and subcrustal layers of economic development, hence the banning of mining in some locations by the Federal Government.
Our nation, Nigeria is deadly so subjected to the whims and caprices of foreign countries with vested interests while the downtrodden in various mining communities are the ones always tagged as illegal miners.
It is alleged that when one hears of banditry, kidnappings and terrorism, minerals, minings and big time evil minded individuals and groups may not be isolated.
Miners do have their minds on what to mine where without giving a hoot as to who could be injured or go dead so far they survive in their illicit and illegal businesses.
These days of incessant geopolitical, ethno-tribal, religious and other fiendish interests permeating every geographic space in Nigeria, how do we mind mining of minerals and mining sites as everyone’s business for the survival of our beloved Nation Nigeria?.
The minerals when and if mined crudely and / or with the best of scientific technologies still create environmental degradation and health challenges at the mining locations.
In this wise, it is better to explore the building of human capital development, the establishment of technical schools, and tertiary institutions to enhance mining engineering and environmental studies as academic disciplines in Nigeria against sponsoring mass wedding and allied misdirection of state resources..
To a great extent and for a better direction of human minds toward noble purposes in mining the nation’s minerals for generality of all, there is need for public environmental education and sensitization on what are the minerals and their mining mechanisms for sociocultural, and political-economic developments of the country.
The mining techniques and technologies should be tailor driven to suit the different stakeholders and categories of people directly or indirectly involved in the mining of minerals at different geographic locations and mining sites.
Community, political and religious leaders who in most cases seem major beneficiaries of the fallouts from the mining of the nation’s minerals including the malpractices therein should please note that : ” When Conscienceless Power rules over Powerless Conscience, it is the former that first laughs but the latter laughs last and laughs best”.
That no matter what, and how the minerals and their minings have become attractive today, Nigeria Government should be mindful of wild geopolitical interests that daily attract international wars and skirmishes of wars.
Or to what extent are we Nigerians and Nigeria insulated from these insecurities globally arising from mere economic interests attendant to minerals, minings and international economic disorders?
Now is the time when the Nigerian governments at all levels should be more serious minded and stop illegal minings and associated illegitimate trades that are not beneficial to the entire citizenry.
Now is the time for us all Nigerians to cling to the admonition of our beloved Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of blessed memories when he invoked that: “To no Person no matter how Rich should WE mortgage our Conscience.
“To no Nation no matter how Powerful should WE mortgage our Independence.”
Our mind is an attribute of being and if deployed rightly and sincerely too at mining our nation’s minerals, I am sure that the present generation of Nigerians and even the upcoming ones shall like to remain here in Nigeria.
Nigeria belongs to all and we must all remain here to salvage it together.
God bless Nigeria.
*Taye Olaniyi is a Lagos – based journalist and public commentator*
(vitalnewsngr.com)
