From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
Worried by activities of illegal miners in Benue State, Taskforce on Illegal Mining, has frowned at the use of child labour and young women in mining sites in parts of the state warning individuals, groups and organisations involved to desist from that.
The Chairman of the taskforce, Dr. Comfort Adadu who spoke in Makurdi, while briefing newsmen on the activities of the taskforce assured that her team would ensure that illegal mining of state’s mineral resources was checked and halted and perpetrators brought to book.
Adadu, while stating the use of children and young women for mining activities should be discouraged stated that”if they must get involved, children school age should not be engaged during school hours.”
She noted that “aside being the food basket of the nation, Benue State is also blessed with various solid minerals in the commercial quantity.”
Adadu said as part of steps to stamp out all forms of illegal mining in the state, the taskforce has given all miners operating in Benue up to November 2023 to regularise their activities by belonging to recognised or registered groups and cooperatives in order to enjoy the recognition of the government.
She said, “if you are not under any umbrella that is registered by the government then you are an illegal miner. We have given them up to November to ensure that they belong to a registered group or cooperatives to be recognised.”
Dr. Adaudu disclosed that the taskforce was already liaising with the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to ensure that all illegal mining activities in the state were check and those behind the business were apprehended.
The Chairman expressed concerns over issues of collapsing pits and environmental degradation advising that miners take all necessary steps to avert the menace just as she advised all miners in the state to make it a practise to always wear protective gears for their safety
She stated that the taskforce was ensuring that Environmental Impacts Assessments, (EIA), as stipulated by the State Ministry of Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals were strictly adhere to by miners.
Speaking further, the Secretary of the taskforce and former Special Adviser on Solid Minerals, Mr. Andrew Kputu, said most solid minerals; iron ore (Kwande), fluoride and lead (Logo) barite (Ushongo), tin, columbite and Tamalin, white stones, zinc and coal in(Adikpo, Okpokwu, Guma LGAs) among others, are all found in commercial quantity in the state.
He said as part of efforts to ensure sanity in the sector, the taskforce had adopted the carrot and stick approach to ensure that standards in the mining sector were respected by miners. “Most of the young people involved are being engaged through the mining activities. We don’t want to use force on them do they don’t go back to the streets but we have given them opportunities to regularize themselves. When the time we gave them elapsed and they refuse to comply, we will now use the stick approach.
