Taraba’S Looted Resources Could Fund Nigeria’S Budget
The Situation In Taraba State Is No Joke. It’S Like A Free-For-All Out There, With People Digging Up Precious Metals And Minerals As If It’S A Gold Rush. I Mean, If You’Ve Got A Shovel And A Digger, You’Re Good To Go. It’S A Real Mess, And It’S Not Just The Locals Getting In On The Action. Even Folks From Outside The State And Foreigners Are Having A Field Day Looting The Place.
We’Re Talking About Gold, Sapphire, Tourmaline, And Other Valuable Minerals Being Taken Out In Huge Quantities. If Things Were Done Right, Taraba Could Have Made Enough Money To Fund Nigeria’S Budget For A Whole Year. That’S What Economist Samuel Adamu From Wukari, Taraba State, Is Saying. He’S Had Enough Of The Lawlessness And Wants The Authorities To Step In And Put A Stop To It.
But It’S Not Just About The Money. There’S A Real Fear That Terrorists And Bandits Are Eyeing Taraba As Their Next Playground. The Illegal Felling And Trading Of ‘Rosewood’ And ‘Sapphire’ Gemstones In Large Quantities Are Only Making Things Worse. It’S A Real Mess, And It’S Not Just The Locals Getting In On The Action. Even Folks From Outside The State And Foreigners Are Having A Field Day Looting The Place.
The Demand For Rosewood Is Off The Charts, Especially In China, Where It’S Known As ‘Hongmu’ Or ‘Red Wood’. It’S Used To Make Expensive Antique-Style Furniture, And The Chinese Just Can’T Get Enough Of It. As For Sapphire, It’S A Precious Gemstone Made Of Aluminum Oxide With Trace Amounts Of Other Elements. It’S A Big Deal, And People Are Going Crazy Over It.
The Illegal Miners Have Been Having A Field Day In Areas Like Gashaka, Sardauna, Ussa, And Takum. They’Ve Been Operating Unchecked For Years, And It’S Not Just The Minerals They’Re After. They’Ve Been Assaulting The Forest Reserves Too, Leaving Behind A Trail Of Devastation. It’S A Real Mess, And It’S Not Just The Locals Getting In On The Action. Even Folks From Outside The State And Foreigners Are Having A Field Day Looting The Place.
The Chairman Of The Special Task Force On Environmental Protection, Public Safety, And Deforestation Prohibition In Taraba State, Gen. Jeremiah Faransa, Is Not Mincing His Words. He’S Seen The Damage Firsthand And Is Determined To Put A Stop To It. The Illegal Miners Have Caused Irreversible Damage To The Environment, And It’S Not Just About The Money. It’S About The Safety Of The People And The Future Of The State.
The State Has Already Lost Millions From The Illegal Felling Of Rosewood And The Trading Of Sapphire. It’S A Real Shame, And It’S Not Just The Locals Getting In On The Action. Even Folks From Outside The State And Foreigners Are Having A Field Day Looting The Place.
But There’S Hope On The Horizon. Governor Kefas Is Taking A Stand And Insisting That Mining Must Follow Set Rules And Best Practices. He’S Also Working On Attracting Foreign Investment To The State, And It Looks Like His Efforts Are Paying Off. There’S A Long Way To Go, But It’S A Step In The Right Direction.
Taraba Is Sitting On A Goldmine, Quite Literally. It’S Time To Put An End To The Lawlessness And Start Reaping The Benefits In A Way That Benefits Everyone. It’S Not Going To Be Easy, But It’S A Fight Worth Fighting.