More than one million Nigerians are directly involved in illegal mining in the country, the country's ministry of solids minerals development has said. The ministry’s director of artisanal and small-scale mining, Olusegun Oladipo, on Tuesday said that an additional three million people depended on the illegal and artisanal mining for their livelihood.

"I don’t have anybody in mind. That is for the people to choose. I think this is one of the  major problems in the state at the moment. We have been praying and I  know that God will raise somebody. But knowing the kind of politics we play here, knowing our background and what we now have here, that is why everybody is  praying so that whoever comes on board will maintain the style of what we have now. Because, to return to where we were coming from will be traumatic, " Gov Sam Egwu of Ebonyi.

"granted that our drowning erstwhile national chairman is right in his judgment that we are rats (which we are not), it must be taken that Ali and Co remain the bigger rats as pests eating the fortunes of the PDP. - Mr Bode Ojomu, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic 'Rat and inconsequentials' Party.

"But the Senate only makes useless and cacophonous noise. They did the worthless work and dispersed shamelessly."- Sen Ahmadu Ali, Chairman Peoples Democratic 'bigger rat Party"

"This has meant a strong focus on qualities such as courage, vision, comportment, sensitivity, honesty, and exposure. It has also meant emphasis on the ability to listen, to project the character and spirit of the community, to have a listening ear, to value loyalty, commitment and service, and to be God fearing. " - President Olusegun Obasanjo