Retired generals behind illegal mining, says Oshiomhole

The Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Adams Oshiomhole, has alleged that retired military generals are behind illegal mining across the country.

Oshiomhole, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Interior, made the allegation on Friday when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals Development, Sampson Ekong, submitted his 2025 budget report before the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

The former Governor of Edo State, who is a member of the Appropriations Committee, said the retired military generals are known to him and everyone.

He also recalled a letter he wrote to former President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue of illegal mining when he was in office.

Oshiomhole said, “The ongoing illegal mining across the country is being carried out by retired generals, and we know them. Yes, we know them. Nobody in Africa doesn’t know them. I wrote 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.

“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, and Air force, against them.”

Oshiomhole said the country’s efforts to diversify its economy would remain a mirage if President Bola Tinubu’s administration failed to address the issue of illegal mining.

The panel agreed with Oshiomhole’s submissions and urged various security agencies to take up the challenge.

The $1.96bn Kano-Katsina-Jigawa-Maradi rail project is still ongoing despite the recent tensions between Nigeria and the Niger Republic.

Arewa PUNCH reports that the Kano-Katsina-Jigawa-Maradi rail project, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council in September 2020, aims to connect Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa states in Nigeria with Maradi in Niger Republic.

The project is expected to stimulate economic growth, improve transportation, and facilitate trade between Nigeria and the Niger Republic.

In Jigawa State, our correspondent observed during a visit to the project sites that the work on the project has resumed, with workers and equipment actively engaged at the sites.

Residents of villages such as Dundubus, Sabon Garin Dan Malam, as well as Shuwarin, and Andaza towns, in Jigawa, Dutse environ who were interviewed exclusively by Arewa PUNCH Correspondent, expressed their excitement about the project’s progress.

Malam Musa, a resident of Dundubus town, Dutse Local Government area expressed his delight at the resumption of work on the railway project, adding that “it’s our hoped that the project would bring economic benefits and improve transportation in the region.

“We are very happy that the work has started again. We hope that when the project is completed, it will bring economic benefits to our community. We expect to see more businesses and job opportunities,” said Malam Musa.

A trader in Sabon Garin Dan Malam, Nura Garba shared his optimism about the project’s potential impact, saying, “I believe the railway will make it easier for us to transport our goods to other places. It will also attract more customers to our community. We are looking forward to seeing the positive changes it will bring.”

Alhaji Abdullahi Mikaila Shuwarin, a community leader in Shuwarin town, Kiyawa Local Government area emphasised the importance of the project for the region’s development.

According to Alhaji Mikaila, “the railway project is a game-changer for our community. It will connect us to other parts of the country and facilitate trade. We hope that the government will complete the project in good time,” he said.

For Mallam Adamu Aminu, a farmer in Andaza village, Kiyawa Local Government, he highlighted the potential benefits of the project for farmers like himself, saying,

“With the railway, we will be able to transport our farm produce to other markets easily. It will also reduce the cost of transportation. We are hopeful that the project will improve our livelihoods,” Aminu emphasised.

However, our correspondent’s attempts to speak with officials and engineers at the project site at the Jigawa border were unsuccessful, as they declined to comment, saying they didn’t have the company’s approval and authorisation to speak on official matters.

In spite of that, when pressed further, a field worker who begged for anonymity later confirmed to Arewa PUNCH in confidence at the project site on Friday that the work had stopped for some time but resumed upper week.

“We’re working on clearing the way for the rail line and erecting bridges. Our equipment is busy bringing sand, equipment, and materials to the site before we start installing the main railline,” he said.

Another worker, who also does not want his name in print because he is not authorised to speak to the press over the issue, nonetheless disclosed that the project, which was initially handled by the “Water Engine” Company, is now being executed by the Chinese Communication Construction Company.

The source told Arewa PUNCH “As you can see, the jackets, reflectors, helmets we’re wearing, all of them carry the name of the main company ‘Water Engine’,” the anonymous worker met at the site disclosed.

When asked about the location of the main rail station for the Dutse rail line in Jigawa State, the source clarified, “there were conflicting reports as some officials mentioned that other it would be located in Shuwarin town, while others said it would be located in Andaza town, according to the contract map.”

After several attempts to reach the Jigawa State Coordinator of the Federal Ministry of Works, for his comment on the project, our correspondent’s efforts in that regard were in vain as he could not be reached.

However, a secretary at the Jigawa State Coordinator’s office confirmed that the coordinator was out of office for some official engagements but that the work on the railway project had indeed resumed.

“The coordinator is out of the office today (Friday), he’s currently out of the state for Abuja for an official business related to the office,” the secretary confirmed to our correspondent over the phone.

Trump Bars Transgender Women From U.S. Female Prisons

President Trump has issued an executive order banning transgender women from being housed in men’s federal prisons.

He also ordered that any medical treatments related to gender transition be halted, according to a New York Times report.

The ban was part of a broader executive order by Trump aimed at limiting the federal government’s recognition of gender to an individual’s biological sex at birth.

The order also impacts transgender immigration detainees and is among the most concrete aspects of the broader initiative.

While Trump had imposed some restrictions on housing and medical care for transgender inmates during his previous term, this new order extends those limitations significantly.

New York Times reports that the Women’s Liberation Front, a group that advocates for single-sex prisons and defines women based on biological sex, praised the order as a “major victory.”

The group is currently challenging a California law allowing transgender prisoners to request housing that aligns with their gender identity, claiming it violates the rights of non-transgender female inmates, especially their Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

Trump’s order echoes these concerns, arguing that efforts to undermine the biological reality of sex are harmful to women’s dignity, safety, and well-being.

Transgender advocates and legal experts have criticized the order, warning it could endanger transgender inmates.

“There will be rapes and physical assaults because of this policy,” said Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

He added that the policy would also complicate matters for prison officials who currently have the discretion to prioritize the safety and security of their facilities.

Legal experts note that the order may face legal challenges, as courts have ruled that prison systems must protect vulnerable inmates and provide necessary medical care, including hormone therapies for those with gender dysphoria.

In 2022, a federal judge ordered the Bureau of Prisons to provide gender-transition surgery for a transgender inmate, citing a violation of the Eighth Amendment.

Trump’s executive order, titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” specifically impacts transgender women, but not transgender men.

While the total number of transgender prisoners is small (about 1,500 transgender women in federal prisons), they make up a significant portion of the incarcerated female population—around 15%.

There are about 750 transgender men in federal custody.

Host Communities Producing Oil, Gas and Pipeline Impacted States Youth Council of Nigeria (HOSTCON Youth Council of Nigeria), has insisted that the recent fire outbreak at Buguma wellhead 008 operated by the NNPCL/SPDC Joint Venture (JV) in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State could have been avoided.

The statement, signed by Comrade Fiawei E. Pathfinder, President of HOSTCON Youth Council of Nigeria, unequivocally blamed the NNPCL/SPDC JV for negligence, noting that vandals may have taken advantage of this negligence, leading to the devastating fire incident.

He explained that the fire, which has thrown the entire Buguma and its environs into a terrible state, highlights the need for regular maintenance of pipelines and oil infrastructure, especially those situated in the salty swamp water of the region. These facilities, he noted, have been left for decades without proper checks and are now vulnerable to the elements in the ecosystem.

In an emergency meeting convened to address this unfortunate incident, the President, alongside the national leadership and Board of Trustees (BoT) of HOSTCON Youth Council of Nigeria, condemned what they described as the “lackadaisical attitude” of the SPDC/NNPCL JV. The council expressed its pain and deep lamentation over the devastating fire and commiserated with the people of Buguma and its environs who have been severely impacted.

Negligence and Delayed Response

The statement further criticized the SPDC/NNPCL JV for their delayed response, noting that since the fire outbreak, no emergency response team had been deployed to the area. He emphasized that this inaction has exacerbated the suffering of the Buguma host community and neighboring areas, whose residents—mainly fishermen—can no longer engage in their livelihoods.

“We are pained that SPDC/NNPCL JV deliberately ignored the people of Buguma community and the entire Kalabari Kingdom, despite their significant contributions to Nigeria’s crude oil and gas production,” he said. He noted that this despicable attitude underscores the need for proper maintenance structures to monitor the state of oil pipelines, many of which have been in place for decades without regular checks or maintenance.

He also debunked claims that illegal bunkers were responsible for the fire, explaining that the negligence and decay of long-overdue oil infrastructure are the primary causes of the disaster.

Demands of HOSTCON Youth Council of Nigeria

The HOSTCON Youth Council of Nigeria has outlined the following demands:

Immediate Intervention: SPDC/NNPCL must take urgent steps to salvage the Buguma host community and its environs.

Construction of Infrastructure: Housing structures and healthcare facilities must be constructed for the Buguma host community and surrounding areas.

Panel of Inquiry: The Council calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the substantive Minister of Petroleum Resources, to set up a panel of inquiry comprising experts from the presidency, law enforcement, and the Federal Ministry of Justice to investigate the causes of the fire outbreak.

Accountability: Anyone found culpable should be adequately punished to serve as a deterrent to other International Oil Companies (IOCs).

Environmental Remediation: Proper remediation of the waterways and environment affected by the fire outbreak must be carried out.

Maintenance of Infrastructure: Urgent maintenance and replacement of decayed oil pipelines and facilities must be implemented.

Compensation: All affected members of the host communities must be adequately compensated by the NNPCL/SPDC JV.

Provision of Pipe-Borne Water: Clean and safe water must be provided for Buguma and other impacted communities.

Meanwhile the group also issued a warning, the HOSTCON Youth Council of Nigeria has stated that if these demands are not met, drastic measures will be taken after due consultations.

Hon. Justice Rakiya Haastrup of the Abuja Judicial Division of the National Industrial Court has dismissed the reinstatement claim filed by one Cavin against the Board of Trustees Save the Children for lacking merit.

The Court held that Cavin has not been able to establish that the Board of Trustees Save the Children in any way breached his right to fair hearing as claimed, and affirmed that the termination of Cavin’s appointment by the board was properly substantiated.

From facts, the Claimant- Cavin had submitted that he was in the employment of the Board of Trustees Save the Children from 2015 to 2021, and he was placed on temporary suspension via a letter dated December 2020 pending investigation over alleged misconduct. Subsequently, his employment was terminated in May 2021.

Cavin averred that the board prevented him from exercising his right to fair hearing particularly where the decision to be taken from the meeting would affect his employment with the board.

In defence, the defendant- the Board of Trustees Save the Children contended that Cavin’s service was terminated in line with due process and that Cavin reapplied and was re-engaged in October 2015 in a bid to give him a second chance.

The Board of Trustees Save the Children maintained that it followed all relevant procedures and did not breach Cavin’s right to fair hearing in the course of its investigation and subsequent termination of Cavin’s employment that even while on suspension Cavin was still paid his full salary.

In opposition, Cavin contended that he was not given fair hearing in the course of the proceedings leading up to the termination of his appointment, and urged the court to grant the reliefs sought.

In a well-considered judgment, the Presiding Judge, Justice Rakiya Haastrup restated that once a Court makes a finding that an employee was given ample opportunity to defend himself on allegations in issue, then such an employee cannot complain of not being given fair hearing.

The Court upheld that Cavin was aware of whether orally or in writing of the allegations against him before the issuance of the exhibit and he was invited for the disciplinary meeting.

Contrary to Cavin’s assertion that he was not issued with a query, Justice Haastrup held that the evidence before the Court showed that he was queried and was given the opportunity to respond to same.

“In conclusion, it is my finding that the case of the Claimant fails in its entirety for lacking in merit and the reliefs sought thereon are also not grantable. Thus, the case of the Claimant is hereby dismissed, I so hold.” The Court ruled.

Manufacturing companies across all sub-sectors of the Manufacturing sector recorded approximately N1.4 trillion worth of unsold inventories in 2024.

The President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Francis Meshioye, who shared the data at a Press briefing on Wednesday, attributed the loss to the high inflation rate and a reduction in the purchasing power of Nigerians.

Mr Meshioye noted that the sector struggled last year and its contribution to the GDP was severely impacted by numerous challenges, including high energy costs, high inflation rate, high exchange rate, and multiplicity of taxes.
He said: “In 2024, Nigeria’s manufacturing sector encountered a myriad of macroeconomic and infrastructural challenges that severely impacted its performance.

“The sector faced mounting pressure from high inflation, a depreciating Naira, rising interest rates, escalating electricity tariffs, record low sales, the multiplicity of taxes and levies, and militating security concerns. These factors collectively strained the sector’s profitability and curtailed its contribution to the nation’s GDP.
“Inflation in Nigeria reached an alarming 34.6% by November 2024, diminishing consumers’ purchasing power and causing a decline in demand for manufactured goods. This inflationary burden also led to an accumulation of unsold inventory, which rose to N1.4 trillion across the manufacturing industries.”

More Challenges
Mr. Meshioye itemised the following as challenges that impeded the growth of the manufacturing sector in 2024:

Devaluation of the Naira: He explained that the devaluation of the Naira stifled the profitability of manufactured goods as the cost of importing raw materials skyrocketed.

“At the same time, the floating of the exchange rate resulted in a steep depreciation of the Naira, which fell from ₦666/$ in mid-2023 to over ₦1700/$ by mid-2024. This depreciation inflated the costs of imported raw materials and machinery, worsening the already strained profitability of manufacturers.”

High interest rates: MAN’s President stressed the impact of high interest rates on the growth of the sector, lamenting that it was hard for manufacturers to access credit.

“Interest rates reached unprecedented levels, climbing to 27.7% by November 2024. This increase substantially raised borrowing costs, making it harder for manufacturers to access financing for expansion and modernization.”

Surge in energy cost: The President also lamented over the high cost of energy and its impact on the industry.
“Manufacturers were hit hard with a drastic rise in electricity tariffs, with rates increasing by over 250%. This surge in energy costs became one of the highest operating expenses for businesses in the sector in 2024. As a result, many manufacturers sought alternative energy sources, further straining their financial resources and complicating their ability to remain competitive.”

Consequence
Speaking on the consequence of the sector’s contracted growth on the economy, the President noted that Manufacturing’s share of the GDP dropped significantly from 16.04% in Q4 2023 to 12.68% in Q2 2024,

“The combination of high operational costs, reduced consumer demand, and limited access to finance contributed majorly to this decline,” he said.

“The rising interest rates, combined with inflation, severely limited the potential for investment in the sector, impeding long-term growth prospects,” he added.