The Nigerian Senate has invited the Minister of Solid Mineral, Kayode Fayemi, to appear before plenary to brief lawmakers on the mining roadmap and how it intends to ensure the protection of the residents of mining host communities.
The invitation comes after a motion by Senator Oluremi Tinubu where she is asked the Upper Chamber to revisit the lead poisoning crisis in Zamfara state which broke out in 2014.
Senator Tinubu notes that nearly three years after the lead poisoning, only eight out of 38 communities in Zamfara state have had any remediation carried out.
“Too many Nigerians are suffering, unable to access effective medical treatment for the resulting ailments, losing loved ones and suffering deformities of varying degrees,” she said. She noted that due to paucity of funds, Medecin sans frontier, MSF, and other civil society organisations have pulled out of the area, hence, the need to summon the Minister for situation report.
