20th June, 2024
NKRUMAH BANKONG-OBI/Lafia
The Nasarawa State government says it is poised to enforce the Executive Order Number 02 of 2022 which was signed into law by the governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule.
The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Yakubu Kwanta stated this while addressing the press in Lafia on Wednesday.
The press conference was called to debunk allegations by “One Mr. Tim Eldon of Trimadex Geomin Consult Limited accusing the State government of undue interference in their mining operations in the State, particularly in Kokona Local Government Area.”
The Commissioner recalled that on 19 April, this year, the government in a bid to secure Amba community in Kokona LGA, shut down mining activities, as a result of the operations of illegal miners. He said the action was carried out to forestall potential security threats resulting from uncontrolled mining activities. The operation, he said, was undertaken by a team of security operatives in the State to secure a mining site in Amba Community.
The Commissioner said following a petition from the community on the activities of unauthorized miners, the government swung into action, leveraging on the provisions of the Executive Order.
“There exists in Nasarawa State, the Executive order No. 02 of 2022, signed into Law by His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A. Sule, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, which particularly, provides that all community consent and Development Agreement made pursuant to Section 166 of the Mineral and Mining Act 2007 and prior to signing by authenticated Community Heads shall be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice through the ministry of Environment and Natural resources to be vetted and certified by the Attorney General of Nasarawa State,” a part of the his prepared speech read.
Kwanta noted that the mining entity that accuses the State government of interference is unknown to the State government in line with the provisions of the Executive Order under reference.
He said the site will remain closed and protected until a “responsible investors who are trusted by the community and the State through a proper consenting, are licensed to mine in the area.
He stressed that regardless of the government’s quest to open up the communities for business and to end poverty, the government is committed to protecting such areas endowed with mineral resources from “infiltration by those unidentifiable entities, individuals, undocumented aliens mostly with the propensity and capacity for mischief and criminality,” which could breed tension, unrest and disputes, hence leading to a breakdown of law and order in such places.
The Commissioner thanked the different security outfits in the State for their role in the enforcement of the Executive Order.