By Douglas Ahiaba
A group, The Revolutionary Sons of Ayegba-Oma Idoko, has threatened to resist all mining activities on-going in the Kogi East Senatorial District (Igala Nation) if a comprehensive dialogue and resolution as to what the host communities should benefit is not agreed upon or resolved.
The leader of the group, Mallam Zekeriyau Ishaka, spoke exclusive with Theniche at his Odu-Ochele residence.
He urged traditional rulers and the relevant stakeholders in Igala nation to rise up to the occasion and protect their God- given resources and environments before they become victims of exploitation, environmental pollution and degradation.
Zekeriyau further made reference to the coal deposit in Ankpa Local Government Area of the state, which has been massively hauled by the Dangote group of companies since the beginning of the year 2016 without any plan and measures that could alleviate the sufferings of the host communities, describing such actions as exploitative, oppressive and unacceptable.
“It is not done anywhere in the country. Let us open our eyes”, he added.
He lamented the poor state or absence of infrastructure in the Igala nation, bad roads, absence of electricity and portable drinking water among others which he listed. He blamed previous political leaders for not doing enough to add meaning to the lives of the people. He called on the current political representatives from the area both at the national and state levels to do more by lobbying infrastructural development to the Igala nation.
Zekeriyau also promised to use his current position as the Chairman of Produce, Kogi East, to empower the youths in the area to reduce the youth unemployment and restiveness which is already a time bomb. He added that five youths from each of the nine local government areas of Kogi- East would be engaged. He further advised youths in the entire Igala nation to desist from all forms of crimes such as kidnapping, armed robbery, thuggery and drug abuse as such vices were alien to their culture, adding that the long hands of the law will not spare anybody if caught.
