The Enugu State Government, Monday, took a major step in checkmating the activities of miners in the state with the sealing of illegal mining sites and sites without environmental impact certifications and mitigation plans.
Recall that the Governor Peter Mbah administration had in June banned illegal mining activities in the state and also set up the Enugu State Committee on Mining Activities last week to checkmate the menace
The Committee, which was led by its Chairman and Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Prof. Sam Ugwu, stormed a mining site in Awhum, Udi Local Government Area, owned by Milhouse Energy Services Ltd.
Addressing newsmen after a firsthand inspection of mining activities at the site where various infringements ranging form environmental degradation to blasting without approval and due regulations, non-remittance of staff tax to the state government despite deducting same from the staff as well as non-remittance of pension contributions to the pension scheme despite deducting same from the staff, among others, were suspected Prof. Ugwu said the government would not fold its hands and watch the environment destroyed and lives engendered.
“Our mission is basically to seal, on behalf of the state government, mining activities that do not have any recourse to the state government. We are also here to look at what is going on and you have all seen a lot of environmental degradation going on.
“We equally want to see the veracity of the license, which they claim they have and to find out how they have been remitting their environmental fees to Enugu State Government.
“Importantly, want to find out the mitigating plans they have in place. We are very much interested in what happens to these host communities and their environs many years after these miners have closed shop because if you take a look at the Niger Delta, the people are still suffering greatly from environmental degradation caused by oil exploration activities of many decades ago.
“Enugu powered the industries of Europe and beyond at some point through this same coal. Today, our environment is still bearing the scars and brunt of those mining activities. So, we will not fold our hands and watch that happen all over again”.
He faulted the claim by the operators of the mine that they started mining activities at the site in 2022, saying “from all indications, this site has been in operation for more than five years”.
He said government was very much aware of other mining sites in different parts of the state operating illegally and without license or running foul of environmental protection laws and regulations, assuring that “government is coming after all of them”.
The Committee also served a notice on African Pits and Quarries Ltd to stop operations immediately and report to the Government House on Thursday.