By Gideon Njoku

One of the most active voices in the Senate, Adams  Oshiomhole, has accused the Federal of double standards in its handling of economic sabotage in the Niger Delta and the North.

Oshiomhole, a two- term Governor of Edo State, now Senator, representing Edo North Senatorial Zone, accused the Federal Government of hitting very hard at Illegal oil bunkerers in the Niger Delta, while it turns a blind eye, or at worst, treats with kid gloves, Illegal miners in the North.

A former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, as well as a former Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Oshiomhole who is, also the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, spoke on Friday, when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Senator Sampson Ekong, submitted its report to the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Oshiomhole is a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Contributing during the presentation of the report, Oshiomhole said no effort of the Government in its bid to diversify the economy would amount to anything if the FG does not take seriously the embarrassing Illegal mining going on in the country, particularly, in the North. He urged the President Tinubu Government to stand up to the Illegal miners with a sledge hammer as it does to Illegal oil bunkering in the   Niger Delta.  He says the Federal Government knows these big men behind the illegal businesses, but does nothing. Oshiomhole, also,  revealed that he wrote a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari, where he provided evidence, and urged him to move in and arrest the big men, but that nothing came out of his efforts. He was ignored.

While not saying why the FG turns, almost, a blind eye to  Illegal miners, Oshiomhole disclosed that retired Army Generals are behind the unwholesome business as well as behind banditry and kidnappings. Perhaps, not a few people say now, it is the fear of the alleged Generals that stops the FG from dealing decisively with the illegal miners.

Oshiomhole: “Whereas the Federal Government is ruthless with people who are doing illegal oil bunkering by deploying the Joint Military Task Force to deal with them, when it comes to illegal mining of solid minerals, the Federal Government changes.

“It’s like using different standards and I am very angry about that.

“If we have to fight this menace, we need to deploy the Army even to kill anyone who is involved in the illegal pumping of oil. We should also deploy JTFs, comprising the Army, Police, Air Force, against them.

“The ongoing illegal mining across the country are being carried out by retired generals and we know them.

“Yes, we know them. Nobody in Africa doesn’t know them. I did a letter to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the matter when he was in office. This is because a team that I sent to go and conduct the primary somewhere, reported back, to me, the challenge of conducting primary elections in Zamfara because of the illegal miners.

“The team told me that those illegal miners procure arms exactly the same way the military is doing in South Sudan. They give them arms. They use choppers to come and cart away the gold and they take them out of this country and make billions of U.S. dollars.

“Unfortunately, the Federal Government is not doing what it should be doing. I took this letter to the former President, when I was the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress and I said, call the General to give you more briefing. In fact, what is happening, or what is supposed to really happen in that part of the country, was exactly what the General told me was going to happen.

“These guys have been weaponised by the big men who deployed a secure territory. The weaponry was made to protect the Chinese and other foreigners and that’s why they actually are going to carry out the mining. So, retired Military Officers, and Army Officers, are involved in it. The day we can’t tell the truth, this country cannot flourish. That is what is going on with the mining sub-sector.

“It is not that we don’t know where it is. We have a whole survey of where we can find them across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

“Even as we are talking now, they are still those illegal miners and those guys are getting richer when they get poorer. Who can afford to buy the chopper, land in an illegal mining site, cart away gold, and immediately, they are on the way to the airport, to take them out of the country? This is happening.

“My position is that we shouldn’t be lamenting. We should fix the problem. We should tell the Executive, you must deploy exactly the same force that you deployed against illegal oil bunkering in the Niger Delta.

“That same force should be deployed to deal with criminals who have money. When I say criminal, it can be a retired General, it can be a retired Permanent Secretary, it can be a retired Trade Unionist or a retired Labour Leader.”

While Nigerians await the reaction of both FG and the Military High Command to Oshiomhole’s serious submission, a retired Army Brigadier General, and former Commander, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, John Sura, has dismissed Oshiomhole’s accusation as bunkum. “It is the highest level of falsehood that anybody can ever peddle”, Sura told The Punch in an interview.

Magnus Eze, the South East Bureau Chief of The Sun Newspaper, has been appointed  the Special Assistant on Communications and New Media to the Honourable Minister (State) for Foreign Affairs, Iyom Bianca Ojukwu.

A letter conveying his appointment, dated January 8, 2025, was signed by Amb. Bello Kazaure Husseini, Director, Administration, at the Ministry.

Eze, a seasoned journalist, brings his vast contacts and experience in Media practice to the new assignment.

He is expected to play a very prominent role in pushing the strategic communication components of the foreign policy of the President Bola Tinubu administration which focuses on Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora, otherwise known as 4-Ds.

Eze hails from Mgbom N’Achara in Okposi, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Born  on June 25, 1969, he began his basic  education at Ikwuano Primary School, Mgbom Okposi. He later went to Eziokposi High School as one of the pioneer students of the Community Secondary School and wrote his terminal examination in 1987.

He proceeded to the University of Uyo in 1988, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Arts in 1992.

Eze, who is also a doctoral student  at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the same institution.

He observed the mandatory National Service at the Mass Communication Department of Ogun State Polytechnic (Now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), Abeokuta in Ogun State and on completion, joined Newswatch Magazine.

He has had a flourishing career in media practice spanning about three decades.

A one-time Editor of Newsday Newspaper, Abuja (2004-2006), Deputy Editor, Newsworld Magazine, Regional Correspondent of South Africa-based AU Media, Eze is currently Assistant Editor/South East Bureau Chief, The Sun Newspaper.

He is married to Anenechi with whom he hs five children.

As part of his community development effort, he, in 2014, founded The Mezie Okposi Organization warehousing Mezie Okposi Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Mezie Okposi Charities and Okposi Geriatric Project.

The organization has impacted positively on the youth and the old people in areas of leadership, value orientation, culture preservation, capacity building, and community service.