The Chairman, National Union of Mine Workers (NUMW), Nasarawa state chapter, Musa Muhammad-Nasir, said mine workers have been left stranded in mining sites across the state due to the new naira notes policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Muhammad-Nasir, who spoke in an interview with newsmen in Toto local government area of the state on Sunday, described the situation the mine workers were passing through at the various mining sites across the state as frustrating, called for an action.
He said due to the geographical location of mine sites in the state, accessing funds specifically the naira notes has been impossible for the mine workers who have been stranded as they could no longer pay for goods and services with the old naira notes in their possession.
“These mining activities take place inside the forest and so this policy has seriously affected mining activities and the mine workers themselves. They cannot access the new naira notes from where they are and they can no longer spend the old ones they have. They have been calling me that they are hungry and they cannot spend money.
“If you know location of mines sites in Nasarawa and even across the country, you will know they are in a desperate situation. They are stranded in these forests and even the Okada (riders) who transport them to town have stopped collecting the old naira notes from them,” he said.
