The Unending Acrimony on Saki Lithium Stone, Legal Battle and Consequences

By: Lukman Adisa Adamawa

The unfortunate and disappointing November 11 saga of alleged assault and betrayal of trust within members of family still generating dust with report from magistrates Court today. Surely, it’s really traumatic, especially to the Barrister involved and Oloye Baale Ilua, family loved ones of other victims. Pls accept my sympathy, ile ola ile nla nio.

However, I don’t like making comments again each time elderly people and respected scholar like Dr Y.Y Muslim made their reactions as well as many elderly stakeholders are making contributions on certain matter.

Any history student would know that the position of leadership is unquestionably crucial, untouchable, and crucial to the advancement of a country. And as such, all I need to do is only to read their submissions and from their profer self solution to issues if there is any.

I salute the Nigeria Bar Association, Oyo State branch that are trying to defend their profession, drag and duck the traditional ruler that violated orthodox law. Though What is not morally right can not be legally correct many times. The highest court of all time is your conscience. Aside God mighty, within the mind of every individual that are involved will know where, when, why and how it happened.

Although there are many contradictions in Nigeria’s legal and regulatory frameworks. Nigeria laws place ownership of all mineral resources in the federal government rather than the state governments, who are custodians of all land. This is perhaps, a discussion for another day.

What I’m very much concerned with, which is more scholarly is to subject the issues to critical analysis and from there proffer solutions to the crisis.

Infact, since when I returned to my studious route after political struggle, and with November 11 Saga when the unfortunate incident happened, I discussed with my Prof who is also an editor that I want to write on “weaponisation of poverty, ignorance and the individual territorialisation of Saki Minerals crisis.

Our community should prepare genuine mechanisms to settle more looming crisis because those who sponsor illegal mining also fund crisis, banditry and cattle rustling in mining communities in order to incite violence among traditional councils, farmers and communities therein. And that such conflicts will displace people and create opportunities for illegal miners to operate. Many media reports or write ups however blamed the conflicts in gbeepakan, oloye Baale Ilua without addressing its links to illegal mining.

I attended Oke Ogun Economic submit held last week at Harmony Garden Hall, a paper was presented on mineral resources in Oke ogun. The author exray how a company own by an Igbo man defrauded our community “Gbeepakan Lithium” used the fund to finance general election at easthern Nigeria.

The most embarrassing absurdity of all time loje. JD mining and other companies had secured consent to explore but not to mine, against rules of engagement of minerals resources, many tonnes and trucks of lithium were loaded, freely movement out of the community without check and balance. No payment, nothing.

I think on this, we are still going to seek services of the law association on those companies, awon Ole jaguda paali. To charge them, then prosecute them in the court of law for fraudulent, baffling dishonesty that is tantamount to staggering parody of a normal society.

Conclusively, the matter is an economical interest crisis, sungbon agba kii wa loja ki ori omo tuntun wo o. If there are one thousand and one ways the rats learn to escape, there are still one thousand and one ways to kill the rat.