The Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee have raised the alarm over dangers caused by burrow pits in Akwa Ibom state.
Chairman of the Committee, Akwa Ibom state, Obong Bassey Inua-eyen, in a press briefing Tuesday said contractors have abandoned burrow pits across the state which are grave threats to the people.
Inua-eyen pleaded with the chairmen of local government councils in the state to furnish his committee with information of abandoned burrow pits found in the areas, stressing that plans are way to designate such areas as danger zones.
He said, “The committee has also observed that the environment is degraded by burrow pits which are abandoned by contractors thereby posing dangers to the citizen of that community and also degrading the esthetic of the state.
“We intend to decommission such areas and plead with the chairman of the local governments to furnish us with information of abandoned burrow pits found in their areas.
Inua-eyen said his committee after one year of its existence has recorded successes in the area of the formation of all miners into a body known as the “Miner Association of Nigeria” and has carried out sensitisation visits to some local governments in furtherance of its function of ensuring the development of and exploitation of mineral resources in a sustainable manner.
He advised the mining operators in the state to register with the Ministry of Environment and Solid Mineral and regularize their registration to enable them obtain mining lease from the federal Ministry of Mines and Steel and development.
He also appealed to them to inculcate the importance of health while mining in a regulated and sustainable manner and carry out community development agreement with their host community.
The chairman warned operators to strictly comply with the directives stressing the violators would face severe sanctions or risk being invited by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission in accordance with section 46 of the EFCC Act 2004.
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