Plateau State Governor Rt. Hon. Simon Bako Lalong has said that decisions taken by his administration are in the best interest of the State and not to satisfy any personal or group interest other than that of the people he has sworn to protect and serve.



This was contained in a statement signed by Makut Simon Macham,Director of Press and public affairs to Governor Lalong and made available to newsmen in Jos


The statement reads that Lalong made this known at the monthly prayer and fasting session held at the Chapel of Grace, Government House Chapel, Rayfield Jos for October .

Governor Lalong who addressed several issues regarding the peace and progress of Plateau State, said there is always need for citizens to not only pray for those in authority but also support them with ideas that will provide solutions to challenges of the society.

He said “for me as the Governor of Plateau State, my responsibility is to do justice to all people in the State whatever their background or affiliations. That is why every decision we take as a government is to ensure that we address the problems bordering us and not to escalate it. I will do everything that is needed to ensure that the peace that we have today is maintained and improved upon because when there is peace, there will be investment and prosperity which will reduce crime”.

He advised those who are bent on criticizing every policy of government to think about the greater good of the state rather than parochial sentiments that are capable of isolating people and deterring progress. He emphasized that the bible teaches love for God and one another which cannot be changed because of individual interests.

“We need you to continue to pray for us and encourage us. We are not angels nor are we infallible. Even if we make mistakes, ask God to help us correct them, but I can assure you that we are always consulting with people to find solutions to our problems. The issue is that some people prefer to criticize but hardly bring any solution on the table even the one they vehemently choose to castigate”.

Chaplain of the Government House Rev. Fr. David Ajang in his homily asked the people of Plateau State to reflect on why God endowed the state with abundant natural and human resources that are the envy of people within and outside the country.

He said “we must eliminate religious, tribal and political dichotomy and divisions that polarize us and create divisions. We need to think differently and change the fortunes of the state by thinking Plateau and acting Plateau because when the state prospers, then individuals will be able to realise their God given talents and gifts while the Peace and Tourism that we always relish in will manifest”.

The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has said the Federal Government is still servicing the $460 million loan got for failed Abuja CCTV project.

She spoke on Thursday at the defence of the 2020 budget proposed by her ministry.

The House Committee on Finance had queried the project.

The Chairman of the committee, James Faleke, said, “Before this administration, we have collected some loans and the one that strikes me the most is the $460 million for CCTV installation in Abuja. I want to know the position of this loan.

Responding, the minister said while Nigeria was already serving the loan, she had no explanations on the status of the project.
Ahmed said, “We are servicing the loan; but on the project, we will have to ask the FCT authority because the project was deployed in the FCTA. I have no information on the status of the CCTV project.”

Commissioner for commerce in Plateau , Hon Aku Joseph Abbey ,on friday said the present administration under the leadership of the Rescue Mantra Hon Simon Lalong is the most business friendly ever .”
He made this known while speaking at the Plateau special day at the ongoing Jos trade fair.
“The technical plant audit of the Jos International Breweries has been concluded ,and investors have been in serious discussions for its bounce back , the JIB had been a major employer of labour in the state , therefore its return on stream will be a big win for us as a state .”
“The payment of salary by government has helped in injecting more than two billion naira into the economy every month and this ha sustained the life line of the economy of the state .
“The rescue adminstration through the ministry of commerce and industry has redeveloped and enhanced the Jos main market we have concluded the process of the technical transaction advisory contract and then move to the final stage which is the concession structuring options through public private partnership PPP , the Jos main market has been successfully demolished to pave way for its redevelopment . “
In his words ” The new tax law that was signed last year by the present administration has substantially eliminated multiple taxation which has created a conducive tax regime for bussiness to thrive .”
He said the return of peace has boosted both economic and commercial activities in the state .
” ” in the same vein ,the state government has established a one stop shop where intending investors can come under the same roof and process all documents , payments and obtain all permits in relation to establishing now industries under one roof .”
“The government,s effort on the ease of doing business in the state has not only impacted on the state but has substantially affected Nigeria,s rating on the global scale on the ease of doing business.”
“
“The Highland bottling company (HBC ) Barkin ladi is now in full operation , the Gov water you see in the market is their full product while they have lined up a number of soft drinks for launching very soon , these products will hit the market with a bang .
The fertilizer blending Plant Bokkos has been producing for a couple of years now and has it has not just substantially stabilized the price of fertilizers in the state , but it has served many neighboring states .
Abe commented the Chief Executive Officer of Anista Marketing Ms Bolcit Barshep, for making the state proud .

Source:Viewpoint

• Russia-Africa Summit: Things you need to know
• By Rasheed Sobowale

Russian president, Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Africa summit has said Russia wrote off $20 billion of African countries’ debts that had accumulated during Soviet times, according to The Moscow Times report.

The first-ever Russia-Africa summit was held in Russia between Wednesday (October 23) and Thursday (October 24). This, according to report was to restore Russia’s partnership with Africa continent since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari on Monday afternoon departs Abuja with delegates to attend the event along with other African leaders and their delegates.

Prior to the President’s departure, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in a statement on Sunday (October 22) said that the Summit would focus on exploring and expanding opportunities in security, trade and investment, science and technology, and gas production.

In total, 54 African countries were reported to be represented at the Russia-Africa summit.

PHOTOs as President Buhari arrived and was welcomed in Russia

Lots of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed between African leaders and the Russian president.More in Home

Some of the MoUs signed according to Vanguard reports include;

Photos of President Buhari during the Russia-Africa summit

List of military, energy and other deals between Russia and African countries at the summit:

Military and politics:

• Russia signed a contract to supply 12 Mi-35 Hind E attack helicopters to Nigeria.
• Overall, Russia plans to send $4 billion worth of weapons to African countries in 2019, the state arms exporter said.
• Putin said Russia wrote off $20 billion of African countries’ debts that had accumulated during Soviet times.
• Putin has signalled readiness to help stabilize conflicts in the Central African Republic and Sudan.

Energy:

• Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom is in talks with Ethiopia to build a nuclear power station there.
• Russia’s state development bank VEB, the Russian export centre, the African Export-Import Bank and the Societe Nationale des
• Petroles du Congo signed an investment cooperation deal on a regional oil product pipeline in the Republic of the Congo.
• VEB and the Russian export centre, a state institute supporting non-commodities exports, also signed a memorandum with Morocco’s MYA Energy on financing a refinery in the North African country.

• Russia’s Rosgeo exploration company signed memoranda and cooperation agreements with Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan and Rwanda.

• An affiliate of Russia’s Rostec conglomerate, the Russian export centre, Russia’s Vi Holding industrial group and the African Export-Import Bank agreed to create an interstate platform for mining projects in Africa.

• Zambia and Russia sign MOU to waive visa requirements for diplomatic passport holders

Economy and trade:

• Russia’s largest lender Sberbank, VEB and the Russian export centre teamed up with London-based investment firm Gemcorp Capital for a $5 billion deal to create a mechanism to support trade between Russia and African countries.

The agreement is expected to help boost Russian exports by providing financial assistance for the supply of Russian goods to African countries including Angola, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Sberbank said.

It is expected to offer financial support and counsel to Russian exporters’ projects in sectors like agricultural products, fertilizers and medical products, it added.

Key Notes from Russia:

• Putin said Russia’s trade turnover with Africa doubled in the past five years to total more than $20 billion.
• “I believe we can easily at least double the volume of trade within the next four to five years,” he said.
• Russia lags far behind its geopolitical competitors on this new frontier. Bloomberg compares its $20 billion trade volume with Africa to the European Union’s $334 billion and China’s $204 billion and said it equals around one-third of the United States’ trade volume.

The Nigeria Labour Congress said on Thursday that its state chapters would get the guidelines for the negotiations with their various state governments on the consequential adjustments on the new minimum wage by next week.

The acting President of NLC, Amaechi Asuguni, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen shortly after the closing ceremony of the NLC 2019 National Leadership Retreat held at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.

The retreat was held after the Federal Government and organised labour agreed on the consequential adjustments at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday last week.

Both parties agreed on 23.2 percentage increase for workers at grade level 07; 20 per cent for those at grade level 08; 19 per cent for workers at grade level 09; 16 per cent for those on levels 10 to 14; and 14 per cent for workers at grade levels 15 to 17.

The agreement was reached 182 days after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the new minimum wage bill into law.

Before the agreement, labour was demanding a 29 per cent salary increase for officers at grade level 07 to 14, and 24 per cent adjustment for officers at grade level 15 to 17.

But the Federal Government offered 11 per cent salary increase for officers at grade level 07 to14, and 6.5 per cent adjustment for workers at grade level 15 to 17.

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum had on Wednesday told The PUNCH that more than 20 states were ready to pay the N30,000 minimum wage.

But Asuguni, who is first Deputy President of the NLC, said state chapters had been directed not to rush into negotiations with their governments.

He added that the table on the consequential adjustments on the N30,000 new minimum wage would have minimum benchmarks to ensure that there would not be staggered agreements by states.

Asuguni said, “The outcome of this conference is that the agreement has been reached, a table will be worked out at the federal level and sent to the states.

“We want a table that will be brought out to be guidelines so that state councils will not go and start formulating different tables, so that there will be a minimum standard.

“That is our position, that the headquarters of NLC will guide the states so that they will work within the benchmark of the table so that we don’t have a staggered or any how agreement by the state government and the labour,” he appealed.

The labour leader, who advised the Nigerian workers to be patient, said it would not have been possible for the union to have come out with the guidelines at the end of their retreat in Enugu, saying that it required a lot of work to calculate the differentials.

“We urge the workers to be patient, it has not been easy to reach the agreement, and having reached the agreement, we need some people to put certain things in motion to come out with the table.

“You can see the percentages, they are different, with different categories of levels. So it will be worked out holistically, you don’t just rush. This table hopefully by next week will come out. It is not something to be rushed out.

“We want the workers to be patient, the patience they had while the negotiations lasted they should have that patience. The agreement has been signed, the consequential adjustments agreement has also been signed and we are just waiting for time for implementation,” he said.

The acting NLC president warned that the organised labour would not going to take easy with any state that would fail to implement the new minimum wage as was signed by the President.

“Well it is unfortunate if any state refuses to comply with the new minimum wage, labour is there to engage them by all legal means,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

It upheld two appeals filed by Wike against the decisions of the Court of Appeal which had upturned the dismissal of a petition filed by the African Action Congress, AAC, and its candidate in the 2019 governorship election, Awara Biokpomabo Festus.

In two unanimous judgments, a seven-man panel of the apex court upheld the two appeals by Wike on the grounds that they were meritorious.

The ruling was delivered by Justice Ejembi Eko.

The appeals were against the decisions of the Court of Appeal, reversing two decisions of the Rivers State Governorship Election Tribunal.

The building of traditional clay pot is full of hard work and exceptional care. First, is the identification of suitable kind of clay that would withstand the rigor of the production. Secondly, is the grinding of the clay and its mixture to become silky and ready for pot making. The pot cannot be built in a day. It take some days. After completion, it will be subjected to intense firing to make it strong and viable.
At the end, it must be handled with care while taking it to the market for sale. Even in the market, it is being guarded to prevent it from being destroyed because of its vulnerable nature.

leadership is a herculean tasks. It requires identification and training of sound follower-ship and guiding it on the core values and objectives that the leadership is out to achieve.

It requires being frank and thorough while keeping the followers’ confidence and hope lively and high with clear end in sight.

It does not mean pampering the followers as the clay pot maker does by subjecting the pot to intense firing. The intention is not to punish, but to make it come out strong and viable at the end.

As the pot maker takes care of the pot after subjecting it to intense fire, so also the tasks before leaders. The followers remains their priority. They ought to care for them and always make them to understand that the core values and objectives of the leadership is pursued and make a reality.

Followers are are under obligations to show exceptional respect and loyalty to the leaders because the leaders are leading because of them.

Leadership therefore is not about those in the front who leads. It is principally about having a sound followers that are ready to make sacrifice for the actualization of the values and objectives of why the leaders lead.

Leadership is therefore the sum total of the effective interplay between the role of the leaders and the followers.

ND Shehu Kanam
Department of Political Science
Federal University of Kashere

Which secondary school has produced the highest number of players for the Green/Super Eagles in Nigeria’s history? This is a Million-Dollar poser that I have been trying to solve it in the past 48 hours. The process has been an experience I must share, and my conclusion, a shocker.This whole thing started innocently.

My Alma Mater is about to celebrate its 60thanniversary. Alumni are planning a massive re-union scheduled for the month of November 2019 in Jos. Part of my mandate is to write a little tribute on St. Murumba College, Jos. My challenge is that I always look at the world through the lens of sports. St. Murumba College will not be an exception.Looking through my prism, I realize very quickly that I am on to something interesting.  I am pleasantly surprised to discover the rich throve of football archived in the school’s history – ‘diamonds’ hidden in the recesses. 

I am going through my personal experiences, five enriching and memorable years in a small Day-school where it was a requirement for all the students to own their own bicycles.  The distance to the school from town was long (3 kilometres) and Jos had no intra-city public transportation of any kind. 

Looking back, those years were wrapped in great friendships, a peaceful beautiful city, first class academics and a proper grounding in football. Those years are some of the best and most memorable of my life.I also recall, of course, the sad part, the political upheavals and horrors of 1966, the pogrom, particularly. Images of a particular morning are etched in my mind. For many years after that morning in January of 1966, I was traumatized by recollections of gruesome killings, burning and looting that happened right before my infant eyes, unfortunate incidences that were to become a precursor to even more senseless orgies that have turned the once beautiful, peaceful and cosmopolitan city of brothers, into fields of death, with the blood of the innocent smeared permanently as scars on the Jos landscape.

I am to write a tribute. I am recalling football in my years in St. Murumba College. I start to compile a few names that I can recall of students that represented the school. Some of them went on to play in the Green/Super Eagles. It is an interesting reverie. I am feeling proud and excited.How many schools in Nigeria have churned out many players that went on to play for the national team?  We should have the statistics, so that we can crown one as king.

I start to browse across the history of Nigerian football. I compile names of players and their schools. Despite my claim to being some kind of authority in the documentation of Nigerian football, I realise how shallow my ‘library’ is. I must consult others in the field very quickly. I don’t have enough time to do a proper forensic of the subject, so, I shall do a quick audit, put down what I find and challenge the rest of the country to challenge my finding. 
 
My excitement is growing.
I call up some friends immediately. They represent different football areas, eras and interests in the country: Patrick Ekeji, Godwin Dudu-Orumen, Ejike Ikunze, Ikeddy Isiguzo, Sam Pam, Patrick Mancha, Henry Nwosu.I speak with each one of them about what they know. Their recollections are blunted by the suddenness of my call, my unusual request and by age! 
 
Like me, none of them has a ready list of names of players and their schools. None could come up easily with more than two or three names from any single school in the country since Independence.Naming popular football schools is easy. Attaching  more than two names of players is more difficult. 
 
It takes Henry Nwosu 24 hours to come up with the longest list of players from any one school that I have so far compiled. He gets up to eight players. 
Godwin Dudu-Orumen scans through schools and players in the Mid-Western region axis.  No matter how much he tries, he can’t get beyond a maximum of three players amongst the popular schools that he reels out easily. I call up Patrick Ekeji to help me with the East. The man is a Lagos man. He went to St. Gregory’s College. He suggests I contact Ikeddy Isiguzo and Ejike Ikunze, Mr. Football. 
 
Between both gentlemen, I do not get far at all. The East of yore had too many schools, the competition too high, and the best players thinly spread between them. No school comes up with more than 3 names of students that played for the national team. I leave the east and go northwards.The north is easy to traverse very quickly. There are fewer big football loving schools and no long list from any schools. It is only Jos that has big names and records to audit.
 
It was always a great football City – 11 FA Cup finals in almost as many years! There is something about the city and producing great players.
I know a lot of the history because I grew up there and I was involved.
 
One school immediately comes to my mind.
It is a little-known school called Academy Institute of Commerce. In 1965, several of the school’s players were Igbos. They were also members of the Jos Town team, Plateau XI.  The team had gone to Lagos, as usual, for the final rounds of that year’s FA Cup, and narrowly escaped the political upheavals that erupted throughout Northern Nigeria (including Jos). The Igbo players decided to stay back in Lagos to safeguard their lives, joined Stationary Stores and formed a significant number in the Green Eagles for that period. 

That’s how five players from a single secondary school in Jos, played for the senior national team in that era. They are Samuel Garba Okoye, Peter Anieke, Tony Igwe, Batande Nakande and Ismaila Mabo.I do not know if Academy Institute of Commerce still exists but it holds the record of producing five players in one year playing for Nigeria’s national team. 

But that still trails behind Henry Nwosu’s list of eight players. There were many schools in Lagos and Western Nigeria, but none dominated the national scene the way Academy Institute did. Like in the East, Western Nigeria had too many schools and too many players scattered thinly across them. Not any one of the schools had more than three players we can list, not even the greats with a rich history of sports. 
 
So, I am about to give up and crown Henry Nwosu’sschool, St.Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos ‘King’. It stands alone at poll position in the race for the record of the secondary school that has produced the highest number of senior national team players in Nigeria’s history. 

This is the list: Godwin Odiye, Emilo John, Martin Eyo, Stephen Keshi, Franklyn Howard, Henry Nwosu, Paul Okoku, Nathaniel Ogedengbe. I return to my task of writing about my alma mater.I go down memory lane. 

When I enrolled into St. Murumba College, there were three great players that went on to become famous. Mathew ‘Mogambo the Truck Pusher’ Atuegbu, his brother Nicholas Atuegbu, and Emmanuel ‘The Tailor’ Egede. I don’t know how or why they had such crazy nicknames but Mathew and Emmanuel went on to play as Green Eagles.
 
From our generation of players, two of us eventually played for the senior national team, Tijani ‘Pele’ Salihu Nakande and I, Segun ‘Mathematical’ Odegbami.After our era, there were several more players invited to the national team, but three actually played for the Super Eagles – Patrick Mancha, Benedict Akwuegwu and John ‘Mikel’ Obi.

John’s relationship with St. Murumba is unique because, although he played for the school in one year during Shell Cup, he did not attend the school officially. I am staring at an incredible revelation. So far, my list is at the lucky number, seven. Could St. Murumba College, Jos, be the school with the second highest number of students that ever played for Nigeria’s senior national football team? 
 
That would be an incredible feat indeed, reflective of the nature and style of the great school after 60 years –  a silent achiever, a pace setter, quietly and steadily conquering the world of scholarship and of football. 
 
Post script. 
I have sent in my article when more information comes to me requiring a change to the final narrative. In addition to the seven names we already have, add these fresh five names: Sunday Mba, Victor Nsofor, Joseph Akpala, Chidozie Awoziam, and fringe Eagles player, late Tony Pwol. With the floor now open to any fresh facts, St. Murumba College, Jos, are the King of Schools in the history of Nigerian football! 
Up Murumba!

Source:Guardian

Politics is nothing but a game to me, no law says we can’t be political opponents & friends at the same time. There’s no constitution that says members of PDP & APC which are only political platforms can’t come together & eat from the same plate.

I have been around for a while & as the good student of politics I have been taking notes from the elders who played the game without bitterness.

Politics is a game of interests & interest may shift from time to time in the course of the game, theres nothing wrong in following an interest that appeals to you.

The biggest disservice I can render my generation is to play the game with bitterness so much that I can’t hug my opponent right in the middle of the game.

To my friends online, I value our relationship so much, it’s my earnest desire that tomorrow we shall grow in this game to be role models to those coming after us.

The latest trend amongst my generation & even some old hands is to play the game with bitterness, anger & hatred.
Sure we can disagree but not to the point of bearing animosity & real resentment towards each other.

2015, we campaigned aggressively for candidates of our choice, after the election winners emerged from all parties in to various offices. The loosers didn’t kill themselves but went back to restrategize against 2019 to seize power while the winners also went to restrategize to maintain their hold on government.

Through the course of this administration, many politicians at the loosing party decamped to the winning party & joined in enjoying the pecks that comes with joining the victorious party.

I play this game with the knowledge that my candidate who’s cause I have been passionate about can wake up tomorrow morning & decide he / She wants to decamp to another party, what then will I tell those I am going to meet whom I have made my enemies?

I sincerely hope we can sit down together to have a drink as opponents but remain friends because no politician is worth destroying my friendship.

I also hope you enjoy the game as much as I do.

In the course of my research for sustainable options for Plateau State, Nigeria, I kept on coming across an alarming matter. The issue was related to the numerous abandoned mining ponds that are spread across the landscape of Jos and other localities of Plateau.

There is reason to suspect that these alluring pools of water are the most perilous environmental and public health hazards to have emerged on the Plateau and have the capacity to wipe out a significant proportion of the future generations of Plateau.

Before people dismiss this forewarning as an act of scaremongering, let me delve into the facts that led me to this conclusion.

BACKGROUND

Abandoned mining ponds are massive earth excavations that have been filled with rain and ground water. They are formed as a result of the open pit mining method, which was the predominant method used to mine tin on the Plateau.

Since the Mineral Survey of Northern Nigeria confirmed the availability of large quantities of tin on the Plateau, there was a tin rush that began in 1910 and lasted to the late 1900s.

The worse consequence of these mining activities was the creation of abandoned mining ponds. Despite the Minerals Act of 1946, which mandated mining companies to restore and reclaim land after the completion of mining activities, the mining companies closed shop and left Plateau without activating mine-closing plans or reclaiming lands by back filling of pits.

Additionally the Northern Regional Government established the Mine Land Reclamation Unit (MLRU) in 1948 to restore lands that were destroyed by mining prior to 1946. Unfortunately by 1969 the unit ceased to function due to government reorganisation. These abandoned mines then morphed into abandoned mining ponds.

Fast-forward to 2010 and the Plateau State Government commissioned a Ministerial report on Mining Disturbances in the state. The report indicated that there were more than 300 abandoned mining ponds in Plateau.

In recent years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing have been used to map some of these ponds. Some studies have shown that the mining ponds cover 3 % of Jos and Bukuru metropolis.

WATER CONTAMINATION

Abandoned mining ponds are some of the most toxic man made environments on earth. The extreme toxicity of the ponds are due to the presence of elements known as heavy metals which were the by-products of the extraction process when the mines were still active.

The heavy metals are defined as metallic chemical elements that have a relatively high density and are toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. Examples are Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Arsenic (As), Chromium (Cr), Thallium (Tl), and Lead (Pb).

Fortunately, tests have already been conducted to determine the toxicity of some of the mining ponds. Unfortunately, those tests have confirmed that these ponds are contaminated with heavy metals.

Published studies indicated ponds at Gwol, Barkin Ladi, Kuru Jenta, Bisichi, Rayfield Resort, Gold & Base and others have high levels of heavy metals.

Some of these studies included tests on wells, boreholes and surface waters within the environs of the abandoned ponds. The results showed that they were contaminated as well.

It can be inferred from these findings that contaminated water from the abandoned mining ponds can seep into and contaminate both ground and surface waters within the immediate vicinity of the ponds. Flowing water can also be contaminated via contaminated soil. The significance of this cannot be overstated and I’ll explain why below.

In a sector of the target region consisting of Jos South, Jos North, Jos East, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bassa, Bokkos, Mangu and Pankshin Local Government Areas, their combined population is 2,000,000 with 380,000 households according to the 2006 census.

According to the same census, the number of households in that area that depend on water from a ground well, bore-hole, pond, lake or dam is 208,000, making up 55% of the total households in the area. If we add the households that depend on rivers, streams and springs, it brings up the number to 300,000 or 79% of the households in the defined sector. The implication is that a very high number of households have either been exposed to or are potentially at risk of being exposed to contaminated surface and/or ground water in the area.

When it comes to water works in the state, the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy/Plateau State Water Board distributes water sourced from dams, underground aquifers and ponds. There is a possibility that over time, flow paths could have formed that linked the abandoned mining ponds to the groundwater pools. This would lead to direct contamination by the toxic mine water. Another possible source of contamination to the aquifer is rainwater that has leached downwards through the heavy metal contaminated soil. The vertical flow of the rainwater would bear the heavy metals down into the groundwater.

I do not know if part of the water treatment by the Ministry includes regular testing for heavy metals and if such testing instruments are routinely calibrated. Furthermore, if contaminated, are the methods used to subsequently remove the toxins adequate to make the water safe for human consumption?

FOOD CHAIN CONTAMINATION

Beyond the contamination of the abandoned mining ponds, there is a high probability that both crops and animals within their proximities have been exposed to the poisonous chemicals. Such exposure was innocently encouraged by a project, which originally had good intentions.

In the bid to help solve the problem of the abandoned mining ponds, the Jos Plateau Environmental Resources Development Programme (JPERDP) carried out reclamation projects, which involved dry season farming on some abandoned mines. This might have inadvertently led to the introduction of heavy metals into the food chain via crops.

The extended contamination would have occurred as a result of a process called “Phytoaccumulation”, which is when plants absorb toxic chemicals from the water/soil, faster than they can excrete them. This leads to high concentrations of the toxic chemical within their tissues. For animals, the equivalent process is “Bioaccumulation” and this can occur as a result of drinking contaminated water from the abandoned mining ponds or eating plants that have absorbed the heavy metals.

Numerous research studies have shown that crops grown within the vicinity of heavy metal contaminated areas contain very high levels of those metals. Likewise animals reared in these areas also have harmful levels of heavy metals, which were accumulated from the consumption of vegetation growing in the contaminated areas.

In the case of Plateau, you have farms being raised within the vicinity of the abandoned mining ponds, with their crops being irrigated by the polluted waters. Likewise, domestic farm animals are reared near such ponds, which provide the animals with drinking water. In some cases, fishponds are built besides these free but contaminated water bodies. Furthermore you have nomads who roam around with their livestock and take advantage of these same ponds to not only provide water for their animals but to also graze on the grasses which are usually found within the vicinity of these ponds. There might also be poultries nearby which rely on the water from the ponds to both wash their poultries and to provide water for the bird’s consumption.

The consequence of these raring/grazing activities within the vicinity of such contaminated water sources is an accumulation of toxic substances within the tissues and organs of the animals.

As these heavy metals pass through food chain, i.e. from the water in the ponds, through the soils, into the crops, to the digestive tracts of the animals and eventually to our food plates or via microscopic aquatic organisms, then into the digestive tracts of the fishes and eventually on our dinner plates, the lethality of the heavy metals increases significantly.

The process is known as “Biomagnification” and is defined as the increasing concentration of a substance, such as a toxic chemical, in the tissues of tolerant organisms at successively higher levels in a food chain.

To illustrate this in simple terms, let me give an example using arbitrary values. Let’s assume there is an abandoned mining pond that contains Lead. Let’s also assume that each blade of grass that is growing beside the pond absorbs 1 mg/Kg of Lead. A cow nearby consumes 1,000 blades of grass. Let’s assume all the heavy metals are transferred from the grass to the cow’s liver, kidney and skin. That means the cow now has all that heavy metal within it.

A man now decides to eat a plate of peppersoup that contains that same cow’s liver, kidney and skin. Let’s assume he eats one plate of that same peppersoup from similarly grazing cows every week. Over a period of five years, he would have easily accumulated a very high quantity of the heavy metals in his system. This is an extremely simplistic way of presenting the problem, just to show how easy the toxins can accumulate. The actual process is a lot more complicated and involves metabolism and excretion that varies the amount of the toxin that moves up the food chain.

Research has confirmed that in other parts of the world, crops common to Plateau such as corn, potatoes, rice, cabbage, carrots, soybeans and carrots have been shown to easily accumulate heavy metals and subsequently pass them up the food chain to humans.

HEALTH CONSEQUENCE ON THE POPULACE

Heavy metals in humans are known to have disastrous health implications. They are non-biodegradable and have a very long biological half-life. In other words, the human body cannot process these toxins in lethal amounts; hence they continue to accumulate over long periods of time until they reach fatal levels.

The kidney is the first target organ of the toxicity of these chemicals due to its ability to filter, reabsorb and accumulate heavy metals. The resulting effect is the dysfunction and eventual failure of the organ.

Another key target organ of the toxicity is the liver. One of the liver’s primary function is to detoxify the human body by breaking down or modifying toxic substances. This process thus brings it into constant interaction with heavy metals with adverse consequences.

In the last few years, it has been observed on the Plateau that there has been a sudden surge in the number of fatalities as a result of liver and/or kidney diseases. This has anecdotally been linked to the reportedly high consumption of alcohol in the state without any evidence. On the contrary, these health challenges might have a direct link to the heavy metals in the abandoned mining ponds.

Heavy metals are also known to be highly carcinogenic thus causing cancers. Once again, word of mouth seems to indicate that there has been an increase in the number of individuals suffering from cancer related illnesses. These include cancers of the bladder, skin, kidney, liver, gastrointestinal system and the lungs. Some research has even suggested that there is a close association between heavy metals and breast cancer and in some cases heavy metals may increase the risks of breast cancer.

Heavy metals are also known to cause learning and concentration problems in children. This generally affects their ability to learn and develop academically. The metals have also been shown to cause neurological problems and mental growth retardation in adolescents. This affects their social integration into the society.

In the case of Plateau, published results of national examinations have shown that Plateau students have significantly declined in academic performances when compared to past accomplishments. The decline might be linked to other factors, but it wouldn’t be out of place to determine if there is a link between the academic decline in Plateau and the poisoning of children by heavy metals.

Heavy metals are also responsible for fertility problems including damage to sperm cells and sterility. These complications extend to fetal deaths and birth defects. Once again word of mouth seems to indicate a rise in the number of reproductive problems in the state. If these high rates of sterility and mortality are confirmed by medical professionals to be abnormal when compared to other states, then there needs to be an investigation to determine if this is related to heavy metal exposure.

Other potential health implications arising from heavy metal poisoning are respiratory, cardiovascular, circulatory, hypertensive and immune system problems. Medical reviews of the general population of Plateau would have to be analyzed to determine if there has been an upward trend of these illnesses in the last few decades compared to other states of Nigeria.

One thing that must be mentioned is that there is a major difference between a single exposure to a high level of heavy metal and long-term exposure to lesser doses. The effects on the organs are different in each of these circumstances and can be the difference between years of none or mild symptoms or a sudden fatality.

ACTION POINTS

The issues described above are quite alarming and need to be addressed promptly in order to alleviate the fears of the people of Plateau. The task is herculean and would require the input of various Federal, State and International agencies. Fortunately for Plateau State, some of the Federal agencies required are already domiciled in the state.

The funding for these research studies should be from the Ecological Funds that are usually allocated to Plateau State to address issues related to abandoned mining ponds.

I’ll breakdown the tasks that need to be performed including the entities that would be responsible.

State: Plateau State Director of Research and Planning

This should be the central officer that will be responsible for the execution of the massive multi-disciplined research project on behalf of the State.

Federal: Ecological Fund Office (EFO)

The scope of this research project falls within the Core Mandate of the EFO. Hence the Office will need to sponsor the research.

State: Ministry of Water Resources and Energy/Plateau State Water Board

The Ministry/Board have to immediately conduct tests on the water they are distributing to households in order to determine if they contain Heavy Metals.

Federal: National Centre for Remote Sensing (NCRS) Jos

The Centre should be commissioned to digitally map all the Abandoned Mining Ponds in Plateau State.

Federal: University of Jos (UJ)

The Biochemical Department of the University should be commissioned to test all the abandoned mining ponds in Jos to determine their Heavy Metal levels.

Federal: Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH)

Doctors at the Hospital with expertise in research should be commissioned to conduct an Epidemiology study to determine if there is an abnormal increase in the cases of kidney and liver diseases, cancers, foetal deaths and birth defects in plateau state. The second part of their study would be to determine if there is a correlation between any irregular distribution of the listed diseases and heavy metal poisoning.

Federal: National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI)

The Institute should be commissioned to determine the heavy metal levels in all animals that are reared within the vicinity of the abandoned mining ponds, including poultry birds and farmed fishes. They should also test nomadic animals that have passed through Plateau while they were migrating.

Federal: National Institute of Soil Science (NISS)

The Institute should be commissioned to determine the heavy metal levels in all the soils surrounding the abandoned mining ponds.

Federal: National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI)/National Root Crop Institute (NRCI)

These two institutes should be commissioned to test the Heavy Metal levels of crops commonly grown besides abandoned mining ponds. These include potatoes, corn, carrots, rice etc.

Federal: National Agency for Food and Drug Administration

The Agency would need to inspect companies that manufacture food or drinks with any water sourced from Plateau in their supply chain. Their products should be checked for any heavy metal contamination, especially the beverages.

International: United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)

The UN would need to be informed about the developments in Plateau in order to request for their technical expertise for remediation solutions and possible funding to support the research.

It is my hope that all these studies would not confirm my worst fears. But there needs to be an absolute certainty on whether the Plateau populace is being poisoned by negligent practices.

The next step would be the massive task of decontaminating the numerous abandoned mining ponds.