Benue Government Suspends Mining Activities

By Adedapo Adesanya 

The Benue State Government has suspended all mining activities in the state until a miners’ data has been compiled.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Governor of Benue State, Mr Hyacinth Alia, gave the directive when he met with members of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Benue Chapter in Makurdi.

He also directed the Mineral Resources and Environment Management Committee (MIREMCO) to immediately begin documenting data of all miners in the state.

He said the decision to conduct the revalidation exercise was due to reports of security threats.

He also frowned at the contamination of water sources for residents in the affected areas, especially in Kwande.

The Governor enjoined security agencies and the joint task force on illegal mining to ensure that the right thing was done to enhance the well-being of the people and increase the state’s internally generated revenue.

‘The state government will not tolerate any illegality. It is our administration’s prerogative to protect the lives and property of the people,” he said.

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Mr Fidelis Mnyim, said Mr Alia was not against mining but wanted to check illegal mining activities.

Mr Mnyim, who is also the chairperson of the MIREMCO, said the state has come up with a checklist that would be used to scrutinise the mining sector in Benue.

In his remarks, the chairperson of the Nigeria Miners Association in Benue, John Tersugh, promised to cooperate with the governor to sanitise the mining sector.

The mining officer in the Federal Ministry of Mining and Solid Minerals, Mr Simon Ogwu, also promised to support the state government to sanitise the mining sector in Benue.

This is coming after the federal government moved to curb illegal mining with the creation of a miners’ marshall. The 2,200-strong group will be stationed across key mining areas of the federation.