EXCLUSIVE

UDEGE/ODU COMMUNITY HAS SUFFERED ENOUGH AT THE HANDS OF KENYANG MINING COMPANY: A REPLY TO NASARAWA STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT

The Afo Youth Mobility, AYM, a socio-cultural association championing the rights and development of the Afo Nation, has observed with deep disappointment the recent oversight visit by the Committee of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA) on Environment to Kenyang Mining Company. This visit, which was prompted by our petition detailing the company’s numerous violations of the Community Development Agreement (CDA) and the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, has unfortunately failed to address the core grievances of the Udege/Odu community.  

While we commend the Committee, led by its Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Adamu Omadefu(APC, Keana), for responding to the petition with an on-the-spot assessment of Kenyang Mining Company’s operations, we are compelled to express our dismay at the glaring omissions in their report and the lack of engagement with critical stakeholders, particularly the youth of Udege and our organization, which brought this issue to light.  

The press release following the visit paints a misleading picture, portraying Kenyang Mining Company as compliant with its obligations under the CDA. While the company claims to have distributed fertilizers and awarded scholarships, these token gestures pale in comparison to the glaring violations we have documented. The unreclaimed excavation pits and the planned encroachment on sacred sites, and expansion into residential areas—issues we meticulously outlined in our petition and supported with evidence—were conspicuously absent from the Committee’s findings.  

We question why the Committee did not cross-check the documents we submitted or engage with the community’s youth to verify the extent of the damage caused by Kenyang Mining Company. Such omissions suggest either a lack of thoroughness or a deliberate attempt to obscure the truth. If the Committee had consulted with us or conducted a genuine assessment, they would have seen firsthand the hazardous pits left open, the planned displacement of families, and desecration of graveyards.  

This oversight visit, as it stands, has done little to inspire confidence in the Committee’s commitment to justice and accountability. By failing to substantiate the claims in their report with hard evidence or community input, the Committee risks alienating the very people it is meant to serve. Worse still, it raises questions about whether their actions are motivated by personal or political interests rather than the well-being of the Udege/Odu community.  

We urge Hon. Omadefu and the Committee of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, NSHA, on Environment to retrace their steps and address this matter with the seriousness it deserves. The Udege/Odu community has suffered enough at the hands of Kenyang Mining Company. To now face neglect from those elected to represent their interests is a betrayal of the trust placed in our legislative institutions.  

We call on the public, civil society organizations, and all lovers of justice to stand with the Udege/Odu community in demanding accountability from Kenyang Mining Company and the Committee of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, NSHA, on Environment. The lives, heritage, and dignity of our people are not bargaining chips for political expediency or corporate exploitation.  

As always, Afo Youth Mobility remains committed to advocating for the rights of our people. We will continue to pursue all avenues to ensure that justice is served and that the Udege/Odu community receives the respect and protection it deserves.

Barr Dauda Yakubu Kana is the Chairman, Afo Youth Mobility

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NEWS

Image
THREE CONFIRMED DEAD IN A STRANGE DISEASE OUTBREAK AT NIGERIAN MILITARY SCHOOL ZARIA, OTHERS IN CRITICAL CONDITION  Officers and men of the Nigerian Army whose children and wards are enrolled in the Nigerian Military School Zaria were been sighted in their numbers in the school following outbreak of a strange disease and eventual dead of some students. They were their to pick their children and wards - Ideal Reporters gathered. A student died around 10:00 am Friday, to unknown ailments at the military facility. A parent revealed “Another boy died today, we now have 3 students in total who had died as of today. “Our children are no more safe, the army should come out to tell us what’s killing our children. Many are still in critical condition at ABUTH as we talk,” Some students are reportedly hospitalised at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital are said to be battling for survival. The unexpected incident had caused anxiety, leading to parents storming the military...
Read more

Exclusive

Image
THE ONDA EID SKIRMISHES, HON. MOHAMMED SANI OTTO AND THE FALSE NARRATIVE  My attention has been drawn to a viral video making the round on social media in which the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Trade, Industry and Investment, Hon. Mohammed Sani Otto was visibly sighted at Onda Eid Ground.  In the same video, one that was deliberately edited in part, to capture the area that presents a false narrative aimed at misinforming the unsuspecting public about what truly played out.  For the record, let me state that Hon. Mohammed Sani Otto chose to observe Eid-el Fitr prayer with his kinsmen at Onda, out of the love, respect and admiration he has for them, a usual disposition that characterizes him.  On getting to the Eid Ground, he was greeted by skirmishes involving loyalists of the Osu Onda, His Royal Highness, Alh. Abdullahi Kuku and Alh. Usman Ode, a one time contender to the exalted throne of Osu, as both were on ground. Typical of traditional tussles, in...
Read more

News

Image
FMC Keffi Seeks Help In Identifying Unconscious Road Accident Victim The Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, has called on members of the public to help identify an unconscious patient currently receiving treatment at the hospital’s Accident and Emergency Department. According to a statement signed by Aminu Usman Sarki, on behalf of the Head of Public Relations and Protocol, the patient, identified as Sanusi Abass, a middle-aged man, was brought to the hospital around 2:00 p.m. yesterday by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) after a road traffic accident along the Keffi–Abuja expressway. Mr. Sarki disclosed that while the patient is showing signs of improvement, he remains unconscious and unable to communicate any personal details or next of kin information. Members of the public who may recognize the patient or have information about his family are urged to contact the hospital’s Public Relations Office or visit the Accident and Emergency Department for fur...
Read more