Abuja — Recently reported deaths of more than one hundred children in the northern Nigerian state of Zamfara have been blamed on polluted water pools where the children play.
The deaths of 163 Nigerians, most of them children, were reported by Dr. Henry Akpan, the health ministry's chief epidemiologist, as "lead poisoning caused by illegal gold mining."
The villages affected are in remote parts of Zamfara, one of Nigeria's poorest states in the arid Sahel region on the southern fringe of the Sahara desert, where many people work as artisanal miners and subsistence farmers.
Zamfara was recently hailed for newly-discovered subterranean wealth in gold, copper, iron ore and manganese. President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated a mineral processing plant where he directed miners to respect international environmental practices.
But according to health officials, the natural resources were a double-edged sword. Tools, soil and water contaminated with large concentrations of lead began taking victims back in March and the government was slow to respond.
Abubakar Garba, a 40-year-old sheep farmer in Giadanbuzu, said in a press interview with Reuters that four of his six children died from lead poisoning two months ago. The four were all under the age of 10.
"The government of this country does not know where the poor live. They do not want to know what goes on in our villages," Garba said while fighting back tears.
"If it were their children, it would not have taken them so long to discover these problems."
The Blacksmith Institute, a New York-based nonprofit "working in highly polluted locations in the developing world with the intent of mitigating human health risks from pollution," according to their website, is taking part in the clean-up.
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This is just the tip of the Iceberg of what is happening in Africa! 200 dead, so what? but what a big deal about 3 dead and a bit of oil in the Gulf? You will get a rude awakening learning about the Environmental Disasters in Africa, in the name of Profit by some Corporate Criminal activities funded unknowingly by the World Bank. AMD and Radioactive Dumping into the Great Lakes catchment areas etc. - do I need to remind anybody what happens to a newly conceived child in a Radio Active Environment - you will see the result in 10 years. Very evident on Satelite photos, amongst other.
I can list the culprits but where do I find media bold enough to publish and expose these criminals. Exploiting poverty, they bribe their way open - anything goes - which is true for South America, parts of Europe and Africa.
They double your shares investment in one year but at what human cost? -I am sure you will sacrifice 20% to ensure Environmental Friendly Processes and sleep well at night.