By Idahosa Musa November 25, 2024
Egbetua, a community in the northern part of Edo State, used to be a pristine land where residents made a living from farming. However, since illegal mining activities started, the community is crying out as their livelihood is being taken away, leaving them instead with cases of kidnapping and general insecurity to worry about, writes IDAHOSA MUSA.
Edo State is blessed with natural resources such as glass-sand, gold, gypsum, iron ore, lignite, limestone, marble, oil and gas among others. However, resources that should be of benefit to the generality of the people are being exploited illegally by a few persons.
Among the three senatorial districts in Edo State (Edo North, Edo South and Edo Central), Edo North is blessed with limestone, arable land, alluvial gold, coal, uranium, and others. One of the communities blessed with these natural resources is Egbetua autonomous community in Ososo, Akoko Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.
Illegal gold mining activities have over time caused destruction and devastation for communities in Nigeria, and Egbetua is not exempted.
Apart from the physical damage which the activities of illegal gold mining are currently causing in Egbetua community, concerned residents of the mineral-rich community are lamenting other devastating effects the illegal activities are having on them.
Investigations reveal that illegal gold mining activities, which has been going on in Egbetua for over 25 years, is a growing socio-economic challenge in the community and its environs. These activities, the people claimed, have led to the loss of ecosystems and increased poverty level especially among peasant farmers who depend solely on environmental resources for a living.
Interestingly, illegal mining of gold in Egbetua is usually carried out mostly by locals with the help of miners imported from Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger and other northern states of Nigeria.
Recall that the near absence of laws regulating the mining sector was one of the factors that led to the lead poisoning outbreak in 2010 that affected some communities in Anka and Bukkuyum local government areas of Zamfara State and the death of many children in those communities.
Little wonder, the people are accusing security agencies of compromise in the enforcement of the government order.
Speaking to the Nigerian Observer on the development, head of the community, Chief Peter Momoh, expressed worries over the activities of the recalcitrant miners, who he said are carrying out their activities in total disobedience to the state government’s directives.
He appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo, to as a matter of urgency come to their rescue by sending security agencies to the mining area with a view to halting the activities of the miners.
These activities, he claimed, had led to loss of ecosystem and increased poverty level, especially among peasant farmers in Egbetua who depend solely on environmental resources for a living.
Chief Momoh noted that despite the order from the state government, some miners alleged to be working for one of the indigenes of the community, are hell-bent on remaining at the site
He said: “The illegal miners will not stop until security operatives go there to chase them out of the bush.
“Although, insecurity and kidnapping have reduced in our community, some of the miners have returned back to the site for their illegal mining activities.
“We are calling on His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo and the Commissioner of Police in Edo State to expedite action towards chasing these elements out from our community.
“We, therefore, implore Your Excellency to come to our aid and take urgent steps to rid our community of these illegal miners. We believe that your intervention will not only restore peace and security but will also enable our people to resume their farming activities and regain their means of livelihood.
“We trust in your commitment to the well-being of all Edo State citizens and are confident that your swift action will bring relief to the people of Egbetua-Ososo. We eagerly await your prompt response and action on this matter”, he appealed
The ongoing mining operation in the community has taken up several acres of once-fertile farmland as hundreds of mining workers toil continuously to unearth the minerals beneath the earth’s surface. The result is that large pits now occupy the once-pristine land in Egbetua.
Of note, under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2007, it is expected that after excavation, a miner is supposed to refill that land up to 80 percent. But that is not the case in Odo bush in Egbetua community.
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