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From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
The Osun State Government has assured residents of their safety over the sighting of a light aircraft flying at low altitude in the state, explaining that it is designed for airborne geophysical survey.
Residents of the state have expressed fear over a yellow-painted helicopter that has been flying around some parts of the state and urged the government to explain the movement.
The state government in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, on Wednesday, said the exercise was designed for an airborne geophysical survey to determine accurate mineral locations in the selected areas with state-of-the-art aeromagnetic mechanisms.
The Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel had a few days ago, through its Mineral Sector Support for Economic Diversification (MinDiver) Project, announced its readiness to embark on a 16 weeks sensitisation campaign in 19 states of the federation.
The affected states are Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Ekiti, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi, Cross-River, Akwa-Ibom, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Taraba, Bauchi, Niger, Benue, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The state government further disclosed that the exercise is being conducted across 112 Local Government Areas within the said 19 states which had informed the need for the aircraft to fly at low altitude.
The statement implored residents to continue to go about their lawful activities as adequate environmental safety measures have been put in place with the full collaboration of the necessary security stakeholders to ensure a seamless process in the state.
‘This exercise embarked upon by the Federal Government is designed to obtain airborne geophysical data which are essential documents of the National Geological Infrastructure, as they provide objective information on the spatial distribution of the geological information and tectonics,’ the statement added.
