Oyo State government has called for deliberate actions by all stakeholders to end illegal mining, saying the act portends great danger to the environment, human existence and health.
The director-general of Oyo State Mineral Development Agency and Chairman of Pacesetter Mineral Development Company (PMDC), Abiodun Oni, made the call during a stakeholders’ meeting aimed at tackling the pervasive issue of illegal mining in the state.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders from government agencies, mining companies, environmental groups, and local communities affected by mining activities. Oni said adverse effects of illegal mining ranged from environmental threats to revenue loss and insecurity.
During the interactive sessions, stakeholders deliberated on various strategies to combat illegal mining effectively in line with the vision of the Seyi Makinde-led administration.
The DG said the task force set up by Governor Seyi Makinde to halt unauthorised mining activities across the 33 local government areas would help drive the governor ’s determination to secure mining communities against insecurity and exploitation.
Oni reiterated the need for deliberate action by all stakeholders to end the era of illegal mining in the state.
He highlighted adverse effects of illegal mining on the environment, such as land degradation, deforestation, and water pollution, which threaten biodiversity and livelihoods of the people resident around mining areas.
He emphasised the agency’s commitment to promoting responsible mining practices while safeguarding the state’s mineral resources as well as providing adequate security for lives and properties of residents of mining communities. He said, “We found out that millions of naira is being carted away by these illegal miners thereby denying the state and federal government of the much needed revenue to drive their respective development agenda.’’
The state is rich in iron ore, tantalite, columbite, cassiterite, bismuth, gold, red clay, sand, gravel, granite, syenite, kaolin, and talc.
