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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Nasarawa State government has vowed to clamp down on illegal mining activities, warning operators whose activities endanger lives or degrade the environment to face arrest, shutdown and other sanctions.
Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Princess Margaret Elayo, gave the warning on Friday while briefing journalists on illegal mining activities in the state, particularly the alleged involvement of underage persons in hazardous mining operations.
Elayo said the state government would no longer tolerate mining activities that expose residents, especially teenagers, to dangerous conditions or contaminate water sources used by communities.
She said the warning became necessary following reports of the deaths of 37 teenagers allegedly linked to illegal mining activities in Niger State, describing the development as painful and a lesson Nasarawa must learn from.
“My condolences to the Niger State Government. Having said that, illegal mining is unacceptable, regardless of who you are. Very, very unacceptable,” the commissioner said.
According to her, Nasarawa is blessed with abundant natural resources that should be harnessed to improve the lives of its people and contribute to the state’s development, rather than destroy communities and the environment.
The commissioner warned investors and mining operators against assuming that obtaining a mining licence from the Federal Government gives them automatic permission to commence operations anywhere in the state.
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She explained that although mining licences are obtained through the Federal Government’s mining cadastral system, operators coming into Nasarawa State are required to engage the state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and comply with relevant procedures.
She further disclosed that some operators allegedly abuse exploration licences by using them as a cover to engage in actual mining activities without completing the necessary processes.
According to the commissioner, exploration should involve taking samples for testing and evaluation before an operator proceeds to the next stage and fulfils the required obligations to the host community..
She said she had seen videos of young children working inside dangerous mining pits without basic protective equipment, describing the situation as unacceptable.
“We are saying no more to this shenanigan in Nasarawa State,” she declared, adding that the government would not allow individuals to pursue personal gains at the expense of communities and the environment.
She said the ministry had already shut down some mining sites after discovering unacceptable conditions, stressing that there were safer ways to engage young people in the sector.
According to her, youths above 18 could be trained and properly equipped to participate in mining activities rather than being exposed to dangerous sites without adequate safety measures.
The commissioner also appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders and residents to report illegal mining activities to the ministry, stressing that the government could not effectively tackle the problem without community cooperation.
