Groups want illegal mining checked in North
A group, Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), has described the death of 13 young miners in Bassa Local Council of Plateau State, barely a week after a mine collapse led to over 30 casualties in a border area between Taraba and Adamawa states as a national tragedy reflecting the seriousness of illegal mining in the country.
The latest incident on Saturday, November 9, 2024, happened in the boundary near Bassa, Jos South and Jos North local councils of Plateau, with most of the dead said to be teens and young men from Bassa, trying to eke out a living through mining.
In a statement, yesterday, RDI said the increasing number of mine collapse incidents, especially in the North, indicated that the magnitude of illegal mining was beyond what the eye could capture, even as it noted that lack of proper oversight by the relevant agencies should be a cause of concern.
The Executive Director of RDI, Philip Jakpor, said: “We had thought that with the uproar that trailed the Shiroro mine collapse in Niger State in August and that of the border between Taraba and Adamawa, just last week, we had heard the last of mine collapses; but the incident in Plateau shows that the entire architecture of oversight on mining operations needs to be interrogated and overhauled to halt the death of young Nigerians.”
According to him, governments at all levels seem to have given up, or are in complicit silence over the invasion of mining sites across the federation by illegal miners either Chinese or indigenous, adding that the inauguration of mining marshals by the government at the centre had not stopped the illegalities.
He added: “We believe it is now time for a complete review of the Mining Marshal initiative to make it more in line with the realities on the ground in the mining communities. Of particular urgency is the need for synergy in their operation with local communities and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), which is not happening.”
The RDI boss stressed the need for a national convention on illegal mining to enable local communities to determine how their resources are extracted and used for their benefit, adding that the “oil curse in the Niger Delta” seemed to be playing out with solid minerals in the North.
RELATEDLY, a new rangers’ outpost to check illegal mining, poaching, habitat destruction, and climate change, among others in Gashaka Gumti National Park within Taraba and Adamawa states, was yesterday, inaugurated by the African Nature Investors (ANI)
The new facility, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, is located in the northern sector of the park in Tungo Local Council of Adamawa State. Speaking at the commissioning, the Executive Director of the park, Tunde Morakinyo, highlighted illegal mining as a major issue facing the facility. He expressed optimism that the new outpost would enhance ranger efforts to deter illegal mining activities within the protected areas
Morakinyo urged the Federal Government to immediately shut down illegal mining operations in the region, situating the nexus between illegal mining and increased criminality. He also called for a collaborative effort to address the challenge, stressing that combating these activities was now more critical than ever.
Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas, who spoke through the Conservator General of Park, Ibrahim Goni, observed that the outpost was not just a milestone in the preservation of natural heritage, but also a testament to what can be achieved when partnerships are forged for a common purpose.
Chairman of the Adamawa chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), who also doubles as the council boss of Toungo, vowed to protect the park.
Related
Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox every day of the week. Stay informed with the Guardian’s leading coverage of Nigerian and world news, business, technology and sports.
0 Comments
We will review and take appropriate action.