Sets up a task force to go after illegal operators
The federal government, on Wednesday, declared war on illegal mining.
While inaugurating a special task force to check the activities of illegal miners in Nigeria, the Secretary to the Government of the Federatio, Pius Anyim, said the operations of illegal miners are characterised by lack of capital, poor work place, several instances of social insecurity among communities and sundry issues.
He regretted that the youths in communities where these minerals are sited engaged in illegal activity in collaboration with their Nigerian counterparts.
“There is also the worrisome presence of foreigners, mainly from West African Region, who have successfully introduced hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide into artisanal mining operations in the country,” he said. “These minerals are in turn smuggled out of the country resulting in huge loss of revenue to government.
The above scenario made it imperative for government to take drastic action to curb the widespread activities of illegal mining with its attendant consequences. It is in furtherance of government’s effort to curb the menace of illegal mining that Mr President has approved the setting up of the Special Task Force on Mines Surveillance.”
The Minister of Mines Development Musa Sada, who is the Chairman of the Committee, said the constitution of the task force was timely as it is “when appropriate legal and regulatory framework is in place that principal mining institutions will function.”
The committee’s terms of reference include: Developing the inventory of flash points in artisanal and small scale mining sites and mineral processing plants across the country, working out the operational modalities to check illegal mining activities and enhance revenue generation, undertaking several unscheduled visits to all flash points with a view to combating illegal mining activities, arresting and prosecuting all illegal mining operators in accordance with the provisions of the Minerals and Mining Act 2007.
