On Monday, the government of Enugu State took a significant step in curbing mining activity in the state by sealing unlawful mining sites and those lacking environmental impact certifications and mitigation plans.
To refresh your memory, illicit mining in the State was outlawed by Governor Peter Mbah’s government back in June.
Last week, it also established the Enugu State Committee on Mining Activities to halt the threat.
Milhouse Energy Services Ltd.’s mining facility at Awhum, Udi Local Government Area was attacked by the Committee, led by its Chairman and Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof. Sam Ugwu.
Ugwu spoke to reporters after conducting an on-site inspection of mining operations, during which he discovered numerous violations, including environmental degradation, blasting without approval and due regulations, failure to remit staff tax to the State government despite withholding the same from the staff, and failure to remit pension contributions to the pension scheme despite withholding the same from the staff.
“Our job, on behalf of the State government, is to put a stop to any mining operations that can’t be challenged in court. We came to take a look around as well, and I’m sure you’ve noticed a lot of environmental damage.
We are also interested in how they have been paying their environmental fees to the Enugu State Government and the legitimacy of the license they claim to possess.
We need to know what preventative measures they’ve taken. Since the people of the Niger Delta are still suffering greatly from environmental degradation brought on by oil exploration activities many decades ago, we are very interested in what happens to these host communities and their environs long after the miners have closed shop.
The industries of Europe and beyond were once fuelled by coal mined in Enugu. The effects of mining are still being felt today, with lasting damage to our ecosystem. We will not stand by and allow that to happen again,” he warned.
He disputed the mine owners’ claim that they began mining there in 2022, saying, “from all indications, this site has been in operation for more than five years.”
It was assured that “government is coming after all of them” because the State government is aware of additional mining sites operating unlawfully and without a license or in violation of environmental protection laws and regulations in other sections of the State.
African Pits and Quarries Ltd was also notified by the Committee to halt all operations and report to the Government House on Thursday.
You are therefore advised to cease and desist from any and all mining activities in this area, as they are in violation of an order issued by the Governor of Enugu State.
If you don’t follow the rules exactly as stated above, you could face charges in the State Environmental Protection Court.
Therefore, you must immediately provide this office with the following documentation: an approval license from the Nigeria mining cadastral office; proof of having notified the Enugu State Ministry of Environment prior to beginning operations; proof of having paid the Ministry’s ecological control permit fee; proof of having paid the Ministry’s environmental remediation fee; and approval licenses from the Federal of Mines and the Federal Ministry of the Environment.
While assuring that the company would follow government directives, Akintola Oluwafemi, the General Manager in charge of operations at the Awhum site, said the company had obtained all necessary licenses from the Federal Government and was also environmentally conscious in its operations.
Kingsley Nnaji, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Energy and Mineral Resources; Frank Anioma, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Political Matters; and Uche Anichukwu, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on External Relations, were also Committee members representing the administration.
Meanwhile, the Governor’s orders are being carried out with additional inspections to other locations.
admin
