By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna<\/p>\n
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has received separate condolence visits from the state\u2019s traditional rulers and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, following the deaths of 37 artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).<\/p>\n
The two delegations expressed solidarity with the government, the families of the deceased and the people of Niger State, while calling for calm and allowing the relevant authorities to establish the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.<\/p>\n
The traditional rulers, led by the Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers and Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, paid a condolence visit to Governor Bago at the Government House, Minna.<\/p>\n
Receiving the delegation, Governor Bago thanked the traditional rulers for their visit and expressed appreciation for their empathy, describing the gesture as a demonstration of responsible leadership and solidarity with the state government.<\/p>\n
The Governor particularly commended the traditional institutions for their continued support towards maintaining peace and stability across their respective domains.<\/p>\n
Describing the deaths of the 37 artisanal miners as a very unfortunate incident that had attracted significant local and international attention, Bago praised the Emirs and traditional rulers, particularly the Emir of Minna, Umar Faruk Bahago, for their efforts in ensuring that their communities remained calm despite the tension generated by the incident.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the proactive role of traditional institutions, including the deployment of ward and village heads to maintain law and order and communicate with residents at the grassroots.<\/p>\n
Governor Bago also acknowledged that Niger State faces several challenges, including insecurity, but said the state government was working closely with the Federal Government and relevant security agencies to address them.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, described the deaths of the 37 artisanal miners as tragic and prayed that Almighty Allah would forgive their souls and grant their families the fortitude to bear the loss.<\/p>\n
He encouraged Governor Bago to remain strong in the face of the difficult circumstances, praying that Allah would continue to strengthen him in faith and grant him wisdom to lead the state.<\/p>\n
The Etsu Nupe commended the Governor\u2019s efforts towards promoting peace and development across Niger State.<\/p>\n
He also used the occasion to appeal to all stakeholders and residents to abide by the rules and regulations governing their respective activities, stressing that respect for established laws and regulations remained essential for peace and harmonious coexistence.<\/p>\n
In a separate development, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, also paid a condolence visit to Governor Bago over the deaths of the 37 young artisanal miners.<\/p>\n
The delegation was led by the Vice Chairman of CAN Niger State, Rev. Joshua Markus Rikoto, who represented the state chairman and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the CAN chairman, Rev. Rikoto described the incident as tragic and deeply painful, stressing that the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the young miners deserved a thorough investigation.<\/p>\n
He commended the Niger State Government for constituting a panel of inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.<\/p>\n
The CAN delegation extended condolences to Governor Bago, the government and people of Niger State, particularly the families of the deceased.<\/p>\n
The association also appealed to the bereaved families and residents of affected communities to remain calm and law-abiding while investigations continue, urging them to allow the government and relevant authorities to establish the facts surrounding the deaths.<\/p>\n
Rev. Rikoto further commended Governor Bago for his response to the incident and acknowledged what the association described as the administration\u2019s development efforts across the state.<\/p>\n
He also praised the recent appointment of members of the Niger State Pilgrims Welfare Board, particularly the Christian Department.<\/p>\n
Prayers were offered for the families of the deceased and for divine guidance and strength for Governor Bago as his administration continues to pursue its development objectives for Niger State.<\/p>\n
Responding, Governor Bago thanked the CAN leadership for the visit, describing it as a genuine demonstration of love, solidarity and concern for the government and people of Niger State.<\/p>\n
The Governor said he maintained a strong relationship and understanding with the Christian community, stressing that government and religious leaders have a shared responsibility to promote peace, unity and peaceful coexistence.<\/p>\n
He reaffirmed that Niger State belongs to everyone, irrespective of ethnic or religious differences, and that peaceful coexistence remains fundamental to the progress and development of the state.<\/p>\n
On the deaths of the 37 artisanal miners, Governor Bago described the incident as deeply troubling and said it was an occurrence that should not be allowed to be ignored.<\/p>\n
He assured the CAN delegation that, consistent with the oath of office he swore to uphold, his administration would pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.<\/p>\n
The Governor\u2019s engagements with the traditional rulers and CAN leadership underscore the continuing role of traditional and religious institutions in helping to maintain peace, reassure communities and promote dialogue at a time when Niger State continues to grapple with the consequences of the tragic incident.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Uthman Baba-Naseer,Minna Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has received separate condolence visits from the state\u2019s traditional rulers and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, following the deaths of 37 artisanal miners who died while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). The two delegations expressed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17899,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17897"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17898,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17897\/revisions\/17898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17899"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}