By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Chairman House Committee on Environment in the Nasarawa House of Assemble, Honourable Adamu Omadefu has vowed to penalize all mining companies in the state that are disobeying Nigerian laws.
Speaking recently while receiving a petition on the state of mining in the state from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), he said mining companies must be responsible in their business in the country.
The petition was jointly signed by the Renevlyn Development Initiative (RDI), the Environmental Defenders Network (EDEN) and the Citizens Free Service Forum (CFSF).
The petition dated 3 October 2024 urged the lawmakers to embark on a comprehensive environmental audit of Abuni and Uke district and their source of water, revoke the mining license of any company found wanting, and scrutinize the agreements between the mining firms and traditional rulers in the communities affected.
The lawmaker said the Nasarawa State House of Assembly will conduct a fact finding visit to Abuni and Uke district in Awe and Karu local governments to analyze the level of damage.
He said the committee has written to the State ministry of environment to provide a comprehensive list of the mining firms operating in Nasarawa state, but no response from the ministry till date.
He said the petition will assist the committee during their oversight in the communities.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of RDI, Philip Jakpor said the developments in the mining communities in Nasarawa are worrisome, saying actions should taken before it degenerate.
Jakpor said the environment and water sources in the mining communities have been adversely affected by indiscriminate extraction, even as he drew the attention of the lawmaker to Abuni where locals complained that waste water from one of the firms’ quarry was spewing chemicals into the Rafin Jaki River that locals consume and use for other domestic activities.
He explained that the situation in the mining communities is a ticking time bomb which will explode except something urgent and meaningful is done about the situation, going further to state that the oil curse in the Niger Delta is being replicated in sordid form through solid minerals extraction in the north.
Also speaking, EDEN Executive Director, Barrister Chima Williams urged the lawmaker to nip the situation in the bud.
He said only someone who loves the people and believes in them can take up the challenge of addressing their concerns.
Williams reiterated that the civil society community in Nigeria is not against foreign or local investments that make life meaningful for host communities, even as he stressed that such investments must respect the rights of the people, respect their environment and respect the laws of the country.
On his part, EDEN Deputy Executive Director, Comrade Alagoa Morris said the situation will be similarly to that of Niger Delta if nothing is done to address it early.
