The Association of Quarry Union in Kaduna state has called on the state government to assist its members with modern tools to easy their work.
The Deputy Chairman of the association, Mallam Alqasim Sa’id told newsmen in Kaduna, Northwest Nigeria, the attendant personal risks and environmental hazards associated with quarrying including rock blasting.
The huge natural-occurring rock, he explained, has to be broken down into smaller manageable boulders.
“The government, contractors and society at large, benefited from this association particularly on construction of roads, bridges, houses, culverts among others”, he emphasised.
The Deputy Chairman, Mallam Alqasim Sa’id then appealed to government, and private organizations to partner with the association in the areas of working tools and loans to better the life of their members.
He said the association had accommodated more than ten thousand youths both literate and illiterate as part of their contributions to tackle unemployment in the state.
Alqasim Sa’id laminated that artisanal stone crushers have increased over the years, and the activity become a viable business venture for young ones.
One of the crushers, Bello Salisu said government cannot provide jobs for all and therefore called on youth to be self-reliant and should not allowed themselves to be used by selfish politians.
He said, as tedious and physically demanding as stone crushing is, youth were beneficiaries, spending hours crushing stones with granite and suffering exposure to harsh working conditions, but Bello Salisu said the profits were satisfactory for their members.
On his part, another stonecrusher, Kabiru Salisu said lack of Government support was their biggest challenges.
He called government to help them with conducive working environment and working tools that can make their work easier.
A second generation stone crusher and a husband to two wives with many children, Mohammed Kabir Malali, explained that it was from the work that he feeds his family particularly saving and cater for the children school fees.
The Association also appealed to Bank of Industry and that of Agriculture to consider their members in their scheme.
