By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has made a case for artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta, calling on the need to immediately grant licenses for artesinal crude oil refining by the federal government.
This followed the federal government’s decision to promote the solid minerals sector of the economy, through granting of license to illegal miners.
PANDEF in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ken Robinson, on Wednesday, noted efforts by the Federal Government to promote the solid minerals sector by legalizing the activities of miners currently operating without the necessary government approvals.
The body statement was in reaction to the outcome of the Summit on Solid Minerals which was co-hosted by the Solid Minerals Development Fund and the African Finance Corporation which took place in Abuja, last Tuesday.
It was gathered that the federal government announced amongst other things, that the Fund, which is specially set up to promote the solid minerals sector will very soon extend financing interventions to cater for those who are currently operating as illegal miners.
PANDEF while acknowledging the efforts of the Federal Government to expand the national economy, said the federal government has been discriminatory in its decision.
The statement read in part: “Specifically, we have followed the various policy pronouncements on the intention of the government to legalize the activities of all those who are mining various solid minerals around the country, without any formal approvals.
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“The question which we are asking, therefore, is why the discriminatory treatment against operators of various artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta?
“We have decided to call attention to this discriminatory practice which has continued to go on particularly arising from the Summit on Solid Minerals which was co-hosted by the Solid Minerals Development Fund and the African Finance Corporation which took place in Abuja, yesterday, Tuesday, 17th October, 2023.
“After that program, it was announced amongst other things that the Fund, which is specially set up to promote the solid minerals sector will very soon extend financing interventions to cater to those who are currently operating as illegal miners.
“Furthermore, they will all be recognized, registered, and given licenses to improve on their current illegal and artisanal activities.”
“Now, the federal government has decided to go one step further by apparently declaring full support for the local artisanal and illegal mining of solid minerals in the country.
“We recall that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, then Acting President, had during his tour to the Niger Delta in 2017, promised that the Federal Government will equally promote the development of local technology through the conversion of these artisanal refineries into legal entities, thereby making them viable companies.
“Similar to the present set of miners who will now enjoy warm handshakes and financial largesse from the Federal Government and its international partners, these refineries were expected to be the foundation for Nigeria’s technological breakthrough in local refining through their conversion to modular refineries.
“Six years down the line, no specific Fund has been set up for these artisanal refineries, none of them has been legalized, and allowed to operate and the operators are being chased about, arrested, and whatever efforts they have made are bombarded and set ablaze by the Nigerian military.”
PANDEF, therefore called on the President to reverse the inconsistency, saying, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as an acclaimed democrat with a noted track record of fighting for justice from his days in NADECO, must correct this double standard, and not allow the continued subjugation of the Niger Delta. We trust that the Federal Government of Nigeria will take urgent steps to correct this grave injustice.”
