Lagos embargoes sand mining, gets committee on excision matters

The excision committee is empowered to advise the governor on any matter on the management of land as well as resettlement of persons affected by the revocation of rights of occupancy on the ground of overriding public interest.

Performing the inauguration on behalf of Governor Babatunde Fashola, the Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Mr. Gbenga Ashafa told the members to identify towns, villages and settlement within such acquisition /revocation areas and to consider the need for excision.

Members of the committee who are drawn from the relevant ministries and agencies were charged to work hander in order to impact positively on the people of the state as far as excision matters are concerned.

According to him, they should proffer effective implementation strategies to government as well as to recommend approval or rejection of excision application and to ensure the due perfection of the excision process.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on land matters Mr. Aina Salami who is the chairman of the Technical Committee thanked the State Government for the opportunity given to them to serve.

While noting that the task of excision matters is very important Mr. Salami promised that members of the committee are equal to the task.

Members of the committee include Dr.. (Mrs) Titi Anibaba, Mr.Baba Alokolaro, Mr. G.O.C Bada, Surveyor J.O. Agbenla and Mrs. A.M. Aloba.

Others are Mr. A.A. Faleti, Mr. Adebayo Saliu, Mr. Akin Tijani, Mr. A.W. Anifowoshe, Mr. A. Adeyemo and Mrs. O.A. Kehinde as the Secretary.

Announced the embargo on all surface sand mining activities across the state, the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Prince Adesegun Oniru, disclosed this at a meeting with management staff of the Office of The Special Adviser to the Governor on Mineral Resources Development (OSAMRD), in his office at Alausa, Ikeja, said he expected full cooperation from all members of staff in realising the aims and objectives of the office.

According to Oniru, the decision of the state government to suspend sand mining activities till further notice is geared towards checking environmental havoc caused by illegal sand digging activities in most parts of the state, “which no doubt is worsening the fragile ecosystem of the State and could lead to serious and irreparable damage to the landscape of the area apart from degradation of the environment”.

The commissioner noted that no miner in the state has been issued any permit to mine in the last one year and wondered why such people should still be allowed to do business without due authorisation.

He directed the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Mr. Kayode Buraimoh, an engineer, should ensure that directive is enforced.

Oniru said that the State government is to streamline the activities of sand miners and dredgers in the state in line with international standard. He therefore appealed to all stakeholders to bear with the government assuring that things would soon me normalised.