Enugu State government, yesterday, lamented the damage illegal coal miners had done to the environment, saying it would take many years for the state to recover from such humongous damage.

Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof. Sam Ugwu, stated this while carrying out environmental assessment and enforcement of the state order sealing the sites of the illegal mining activities at Nsude and Akwuke communities of the state.

The Commissioner said illegal deforestation, diversion of water bodies and degradation of hundreds of hectares of land by miners could trigger ecological disaster if nothing is done to prevent further unregulated mining activities in the state.

Ugwu said: “It is unfortunate that this kind of damage is going on in Enugu State without the approval of the state government. It is very sad. The government is not happy about it, and we will continue this way till we close all the mining sites in the state. It has caused a lot of ecological damage.

“We are worried about what is going on, and we are sealing them. These criminal acts are unacceptable. There will be no more activities here. We will be monitoring them morning and evening and ensure the places we have sealed are not tampered with.”

The Commissioner, while serving a letter of invitation on the miners, said those with genuine mining licences, approvals and other evidence of compliance with the standard practice should visit the state government for verification.

He further called on genuine investors, who are willing to invest in the energy and minerals sector of the economy, to approach the state through laid down processes, maintaining that the government is interested in making the state attractive for investors by de-risking investment flow.

Meanwhile, residents and communities across the state have continued to protest against the activities of the illegal miners. They disclosed that the miners had been threatening them with security operatives, who are illegally attached to them to protect them at the various sites, while engaging in unlawful arrests.

They called for the arrest and prosecution of those destroying the environment, insisting that the miners had no stake in the state, as most of them are not from the state. They further complained that illegally mined coal was being transported outside Enugu State for industrial use and export purposes.