Lead poisoning: Global Rights calls for urgent intervention in Sikira

Global Rights has called on the Federal Government and the Niger State Government to intervene in the lead poisoning cases in Shikira community due to artisanal gold mining activities since May 2015.
The group in a statement by its Country Director, Abiodun Baiyewu in Abuja said in May 2015, when the Federal Ministry of Health broke the news of the death of 28 children with 65 others critically ill from lead poisoning at Shikira, a remote community in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger state, the general assumption was that the government would immediately respond to curtail further deaths and remediate the community.

But it noted that “in spite of concerted advocacy for over a year, Global Rights is appalled to note that the government other than to visit the community, has failed to live up to its obligation, notwithstanding the fact that new contaminations have been recorded.
Global Rights explained that since the outbreak, the Senate only passed a resolution on June 3rd 2016 compelling the executive arm of the government to embark on a total clean-up of Shikira and requested the release of intervention funds for the affected communities.
“While we applaud the recent visit by the Minister of Environment, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, to the community and her declaration of the situation as a national disaster, we are however yet to see any concrete measures towards the swift implementation of the cleanup plan for Shikira and its neighboring communities”, the group added.
“We remind the government that time is running out and that once the heavy rains set in access to the community will be completely blocked”.
Global Rights with regretted that in spite of the lessons learned in the Zamfara lead poisoning episode, the government has yet again failed to intervene in a timely manner in the Shikira lead poisoning outbreak.