The Ebonyi State Government has set up a task force on solid minerals development as part of the measures to curb illegal operations and check revenue leakages in the solid minerals sector.
Inaugurating a Task Force Committee on illegal mining operations on Thursday in Abakaliki, the state capital, Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Mr Chinedu Nkah, said the team would be deployed across the three senatorial zones of the state to monitor mining and quarrying activities and ensure compliance with existing laws and regulations.
He stated that the task force was necessary because of the strategic importance of solid minerals to the economy of the state, saying that Ebonyi State was endowed with abundant mineral resources but yet to reap commensurate benefits from them.
According to him, “the solid minerals sector is the major source of revenue of the state, and should be taken very seriously.”
The Commissioner said the state government was particularly concerned about situations where mining operators extract valuable resources, abandon excavated pits and leave communities exposed to environmental and safety hazards.
“Although mining licences fall under the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government, the state has a responsibility to regulate activities within its territory and ensure compliance with relevant laws, regulations and Community Development Agreements,” he noted.
Nkah warned members of the task force not to abuse their positions or use the assignment to extort money from mining companies.
“We have not called you to come and make money for yourselves, because if you have that mindset, you will put yourself in trouble,” the Commissioner cautioned.
Nkah said the ministry would provide the team with formal operational guidelines, including applicable fines and enforcement procedures, while members would undergo a one-day training, involving experts from the ministry and security agencies.
He charged the team to monitor mining companies for compliance with workers’ welfare and safety requirements, including preventing the use of children and pregnant women in prohibited mining activities.
The commissioner further directed the task force to monitor the movement of mineral-bearing trucks, particularly at night, noting that night movement of trucks and night-time crushing were prohibited under the applicable regulations.
He said the task force would also be expected to detect theft and illegal sale of the minerals from legitimate mining companies.
Nkah also directed members of the task force to demand evidence of revenue payments and official clearance for mineral consignments, particularly where the quantity of minerals being transported appeared to exceed the declared volume, stressing that the measure would prevent loss of government revenue through under-declaration and other forms of evasion.
“All mining and quarry companies operating in the state must display appropriate signposts and provide evidence of payment of statutory revenues.
“The state government would not tolerate mining operations that failed to provide adequate safety measures or protect workers from accidents and other occupational hazards,” Nkah emphasised.
He maintained that the task force would operate in collaboration with the ministry, pointing out that members must get appropriate directives before sealing any mining company or taking other major enforcement actions.
The Commissioner also disclosed that members would be provided with official jackets, caps and other identification materials to make them different from impostors, who parade themselves as officials of the Ministry of Solid Minerals.
In his address during the inauguration, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Chima Ude Umanta, urged members of the task force to use their identification cards responsibly.
He noted that the state government had previously issued identification cards to authorised personnel in the sector and also warned that anyone who misuses the document would face serious legal consequences.
Umanta explained that transportation arrangements for task force operations would initially be handled on a zonal basis, while the state government is expected to improve logistics as the programme progresses.
