The Silence Of The Ministry Of Solid Minerals

SIR: It is quite pathetic that despite the fact that it has been some weeks since the issue of unregulated mining in OAU gained public attention, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals has not found it worthy to react not to talk of mandating security agencies to go after everyone involved in this reckless act. The deafening silence of the Minister of Solid Minerals suggests complacency. It suggests that there was a conspiracy between these miners and the Minister to endanger the lives of both staff and students of OAU through unregulated mining.

As it stands today, there are complaints of gold contamination of the University dam which provides water for members of the University as a result of unregulated mining. How callous can these people and their enablers be? Yet, no single reaction so far has been made by the Minister of Solid Minerals. The invasion of the University land for mining purpose is a serious issue which must not be swept under the carpet. Though, the artisans have left the mining sites after the public outcry, butexamples must be made of everyone involved in this unregulated mining. It is simply a crime against humanity.

Whether the 11 companies that are said to have been licensed to mine on OAU campus have been paying revenue to the federal government is another issue on its own in entirety. But, the issue is that, as claimed by the University management, some sections of the University land was invaded by these miners without the consent of the management. What audacity!

The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 stipulates that “where any land within the area is subject to a right of occupancy, he or she must give prior notice to the lawful occupier and the local government chair of the area where the land is located and must pay compensation for damage caused”.

The management must indeed pressure the Ministry of Solid Minerals to provide the details of those companies licensed by the Mining Cadastral Office to mine in the University without the consent of the management. And, it must not stop at that, everyone involved in the illegal mining must be identified, arrested and prosecuted.

The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 also provides for environmental considerations which encompasses prevention of pollution, host community rights, establishment of the environmental protection and rehabilitation programmes and environmental protection and rehabilitation fund.

Unfortunately, the mining activities of these reckless dregs has resulted in different forms of land degradation which ranges in sizes and depths because there was the absence of monitoring which made them mine without recourse to international best practices.

In fact, I expect the management to insist that everyone involved in the reckless and unregulated mining be arrested and prosecuted not just for invasion but also for endangering lives of staff and students of the University. The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 requires holders of mining titles to minimise and manage any environmental impact resulting from their activities and to rehabilitate or reclaim all disturbed land and pay rent and royalties that may become due.

Unfortunately, none of these has so far been adhered to by these reckless miners. The degraded land has been abandoned after the public outcry without being reclaimed/ rehabilitated which will definitely have a mass negative impact on the members of the University community sooner.