FIC Report (Niger State) – Following the Niger State Government’s decision to send an Executive Bill to the State Assembly on “Responsible Mining” an interactive meeting of all relevant stakeholders in the mining sector has been held.
The meeting, which was presided over by farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago, was held at the Council chamber of the Government House, Minna.
The farmer Governor explained that the meeting was to discuss issues surrounding mining in the State with the view to harmonising all actors in the mining sector to sanitize it.
In his address, farmer Governor Umaru Bago decried how illegal mining has led to loss of lives, environmental degradation, school drop-outs and insecurity.
He then stressed the need for all miners in the State to unite and form a formidable front, while the artisanal miners also form Cooperatives to have a database of all miners and artisanal miners in the State.
The farmer Governor explained that with a reliable database of miners in the State, the State government would provide full support to the mining association or cooperatives to ensure Responsible Mining where the lives of the miners and host communities are not endangered and basic social amenities provided.
He said the meeting would be a continuous one to ensure a strong collaboration between the State government and miners in the State to ensure a Responsible Mining.
The Caretaker Chairman, Miners Association of Nigeria, Niger State Chapter, Yusuf Shuaibu, the immediate past Chairman of the Association and member, Technical Committee for the review of Mining laws in Nigeria, Mohammed Ismaila Mambo, and Obed Yakwai Kango, among many other speakers, all appreciated the Farmer Governor for his initiative aimed at bringing together all the actors in the mining sector.
They highlighted the lack of compliance to stipulated guidelines, and the lack of supervision as the bane of the environmental degradation and other negative effect of mining to the host communities pointing out that the proposed “Responsible Mining” Bill when passed, would help in checkmating the challenges in the sector.
Recently, farmer Governor Umaru Bago said an Executive Bill tagged “Responsible Mining” will be sent to the State Assembly for passage to sanitise mining activities in the State as the bill when passed would spell out the procedures to follow in terms of mining, thereby getting rid of all forms of irregularities in the mining sector.
Signed
USMAN TSWACHI
INFORMATION OFFICER
FOR: HOC
