Following irresponsible extractions and illegal mining, the Ogun State Government on Thursday, warned miners and dredgers in the state to operate responsibly or face sanctions.
Mr. Ola Oresanya, Special Adviser to Ogun State Governor on environment, gave the warning in Abeokuta during a visit to a gully erosion site arising from mining activities in Sango-Ota in Ado Odo Local Government Area of the state.
According to The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Oresanya said the government had found out that a lot of irresponsible extractions had been done in several parts of the state especially in the southern part with sedimentary basins, thus leading to gully erosion.
“Gully erosion will continue if we continue to have irresponsible mining and dredging.
“The state government will no longer tolerate it, whether they are licensed or not since mining and dredging are on the exclusive list.
“Ours is to protect the lives and property of our people in the state in making sure they are not exposed to danger through irresponsible mining.
“They cannot extract almost at vertical strip and have people’s houses falling into gouge. We will not tolerate it,“ he warned.
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He, therefore, directed the miners and the dredgers to do Environmental Impact Assessment before operations and register with the Ministry of Environment for proper monitoring of their activities.
The Special Adviser also directed them to have dust-control devices, especially for those sculping seriously and maintain the roads they destroy while they operate.
He added that the cost of restoring the degradation they do to the environment was more than the money they pay to the Federal Government for their licences.
Oresanya also said that the Federal Government did not give them those licences to destroy the state.
He, however, said that the state government was ready to work with the Federal Government to ensure total compliance with mining standards.
“And ensure strict adherence to environmental regulations and standards, ”he said.
