Bago urges clerics to preach against teenage mining

Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has urged religious leaders in the state to use their sermons to discourage parents from allowing teenagers to engage in artisanal mining.

Bago made the call on Tuesday when the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, led a condolence visit to him at the Government House, Minna, following the death of 37 young artisanal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The governor said the state government had made basic and secondary education free, urging parents to take advantage of the policy by enrolling their children in school rather than exposing them to the dangers associated with artisanal mining.

He said, “We are bedevilled with the crisis that happened in the custody of the NSCDC. Please, call on parents not to expose their children to this dangerous kind of business.

“Please, use the church and mosques to call on parents to discourage their children from indulging in artisanal mining and to encourage them to enrol in schools so that they can be better citizens tomorrow.

“We all have a responsibility to ensure enrolment into school is encouraged because both basic and secondary education in Niger State are free for all our children.

“It has always been free and we will continue to re-emphasise that it is free. So, there is no reason why any parent will not allow their child to go to school.

“So, use the house of God during your sermons and preaching to call on our children to go to school.”

Bago also assured that his administration would pursue the ongoing inquiry into the deaths to establish the truth.

He described the incident as avoidable and said alleged lapses by security personnel must be thoroughly investigated.

According to him, “This tragedy was avoidable, but because of lack of professionalism on the part of the officers, we have found ourselves with 37 deaths in our hands.

“This we cannot sweep under the carpet and, by the grace of God and the oath of office, we are going to ensure we pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.”

Earlier, the Chairman of CAN Niger State Chapter, Most Rev. Bulus Yohanna, represented by his deputy, Rev. Joshua Marcus Rikoto, expressed the condolences of the Christian community to the governor, the government and the families of the deceased.

Yohanna, who is also the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, described the deaths of the 37 young artisanal miners in NSCDC custody as tragic and called for efforts to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.

He commended Bago for prioritising the restoration of peace following the incident, particularly his decision to postpone the flag-off of his campaign.

“Shifting the flag-off of your campaign shows how humane you are, and we thank you for ensuring peace is restored,” he said.

The CAN chairman urged the governor to ensure that the true circumstances surrounding the deaths were established.

He prayed for the repose of the deceased and for comfort for the families who lost their loved ones.

Prayers were subsequently offered by the immediate past Chairman of CAN Niger State, Rev. Mathias Echioda.