Comrade Kazeem Olalekan Israel, an activist and social analyst, is a former Public Relations Officer (PRO), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D (South West). In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on illegal mining activities in Nigeria, especially within the academic environment of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, among other critical issues. Excerpt:
Can our readers meet you?
I am a non-conformist and a strong believer in due process and constitutional democracy. Presently, I am a postgraduate student of Gender and Development.
What are your antecedents?
I have been involved in a series of advocacy. Recently, and up till now, I am among the few taking up the Oyo State government in a series of media campaigns against the conversion of Ogunpa Dam Forest Reserve to a housing estate. I believe that converting such an important heritage into a housing estate will open up the city for flood and also contribute to the ongoing heat wave in the city. The forest reserve serves as a watershed for the Ogunpa River. I am a former Public Relations Officer (PRO), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Zone D (South West). During my time as the NANS PRO, we advocated for virtual classes to be incorporated into our curriculum in response to the closing down of schools for months because of a pandemic. I was also actively involved in the #EndASUUstrike protests where we shut down the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in response to the failure of the Nigerian government to fulfil the terms of agreement they entered into with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). I am also a political and social analyst.
To what extent are you conversant with Ile-Ife and the OAU Community?
I was a student at Ife. I was not just a student, but a vibrant Students’ Leader. I was a member of the Judicial Council of the Students’ Union and I went on to represent OAU Students Union and won as PRO of students in the South West, NANS, Zone D. I graduated some years ago, and I am back now as a Post Graduate Student.
We learnt that some illegal mining activities have been going on within the university community. For how long has this been going on and how serious is it?
I was not aware of the illegal mining activities until I went to visit one of my lecturers at his residence at the University Staff Quarters on March 15. When I probed further about the illegal mining activities, I found out that it has been going on in the university for over three years. In fact, I was authoritatively informed that they have been mining around two-storey buildings at the OAU Teaching and Research Farm since three years ago. Upon shifting from that farm, they invaded the University’s Junior Staff Quarters, Road 7 and a site beside Cooperative Hostel at Ede Road.
What mineral resources are found in Ife and within the university community?
The university environment is basically rich in gold. Some people have been mining without a check for over three years now.
From your findings, what have the university authorities been doing to check the illegal mining activities within the university environment and how successful are such efforts?
Are you aware if the institution’s student union has done anything about the illegal mining activities there?
So far, the student union has not done anything, even though the activities of the illegal miners could be dangerous to the students in particular and the university community in general. If the union has done anything so far, it would have been in the public space by now. I think they have not analysed the gravity of the issue, which is why they seem not bothered about it.
What of the traditional institutional institutions in Ife? Are you aware if the university authorities have brought the issue of alleged illegal mining activities there to the traditional rulers in Ife and what they have done to check it?
Well, I personally do not have any belief in the traditional institutions in Ife. The same traditional institutions have been accused of encroaching on the university land. As we all know, encroachment breeds different evils such as unregulated mining. The university has not been able to utilise three-block students’ hostel along Parakin for use of students because there has been an issue over it with the Ife traditional institutions since the days of former VC, Prof. Ogunbodede. In fact, on April 2, there was an incident report of encroachment and demarcation of university land at Maintenance Yard axis where the students’ hostel which has not been put to use since 2018, is located. This hostel was built with taxpayers’ money, yet, the Federal Ministry of Education and indeed the Federal Government is looking the other way round.
It was reported that one Oba Ologudu was allegedly sighted with a bulldozer, creating a pathway behind Poplat Fuel Station right on the university’s land. The Oba Ologudu who allegedly led some acclaimed Ife community representatives to the site, according to reports, stated that it is only the Ooni of Ife that can ask them to stop the project. Have they stopped? No! Are they not members of the Ife traditional institution? Of course, yes. So, these are the issues. These are issues I expect the management of the institution to seriously take up alongside the issue of illegal mining on campus. Some people should be arrested and put on trial over all these illegalities going on within and around the academic environment.
To the best of your knowledge, what has the Federal Government, especially the Ministry of Solid Minerals done so far to ensure that the issue of alleged illegal mining in the OAU environment is brought under proper control?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing! There is no single reaction from the ministry. Despite media reports, there is no single reaction from the minister. The silence suggests conspiracy.
Several illegal activities have been going on in parts of the country, leading to loss of necessary funds for development, even as the government has been going cap in hand going everywhere for foreign loans. How do you think this trend could be reversed?
The only way to stop illegal mining activities in the country is to reverse neo-liberal capitalism Nigeria is practising presently. This is because it is giving too much power to private profiteering. Since the economists are saying that the government has no business in business, illegal mining becomes so lucrative as resources are being explored by private hands who have the ability to show power and get some support from militia groups, some traditional institutions, politicians and other public officials in government. It must be noted that these solid minerals are raw materials. In a country that values economic growth and development, they should be turned into finished goods before being sold or exported. But, with illegal miners everywhere now, raw materials are dug from under the ground and sold raw to big businesses abroad. This continues to rob the country of employment opportunities for the citizens, real wealth and industrialisation. Meanwhile, the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act are very clear on this issue. I strongly advocate that states should be allowed to take over minerals in their states.
How do you see the performance of the Tinubu administration so far?
It is abysmally low. I will score him 1/10 or 10 percent only because of the suspension of Betta Edu and a few others in his cabinet. Betta Edu is not even being prosecuted yet. But, in the provision of basic amenities like Education, Healthcare, Housing, Employment, Social Welfare, Security and others, the Tinubu administration is a big failure. He has wickedly reduced drastically the purchasing powers of average Nigerians. He is also seriously killing the Small and Medium Scale Businesses through his removal of subsidies and hike in the price of petrol, Naira per dollar, electricity tariffs and more.
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