..berates Ministry of Mines for granting firms rights

By Ike Uchechukwu, CALABAR

Two environmental Non Profit  organisations “We the People” and Development Concerns ( DEVCON) have raised the alarm over mining activities carried out by two firms allegedly  granted lease by Ministry of Mines and Steel Development and were currently carrying out  mining activities within the Cross River National Park.

According to the two Non profit environmental organizations the  mining firms , Abdulrasag & Co Int’l Mining limited and Vintage Mining and Exploration limited were responsible for mining activities which they described as illegal and inimical to the ecosystem of the reserve and destroy the essence of conservation.

In a jointly signed statement  by Ken Henshaw of “We the People” and Dr. Martin Egot of DEVCON , on  Monday  in Calabar they hinted that mining activities within the National  Park contravened the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007 which  prohibits mining activities at the National Park.

While berating the federal ministry of Mines and Steel Development for granting the two firms  the mining rights, they called for the revocation of the mining lease from the two mining firms as well as appropriate sanctions for the breach by the ministry.

They stated :” There is no doubt that permitting mining activities in the National Park will seriously impact the ecosystem and destroy the essence of conservation, while opening the forest to other risks including wildlife hunting and logging.

“Accordingly, we demand the immediate revocation of the mining lease granted the two companies. The step is essential to halt any ongoing mining activities and prevent further ecological degradation.

“We also want immediate vacation of of mining sites and in addition, security agencies should be mobilised to vacate the mining operatives from the mining sites.

“The Nigerian Minerals and Mining Regulations should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that there are no ambiguities in granting licenses within protected areas.

“Local communities surrounding Cross River National Park Oban Forest should be actively engaged in the conservation efforts.Their input and cooperation are vital for the effective protection of the Park and its sustainable management.

“The Nigerian Minerals and Mining regulations should be reviewed and strengthened to ensure that there are no ambiguities in granting mining licenses  within protected areas as it would help prevent future conflicts,” they stated.

They however asked for an independent comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment on the affected area.

They further added  that if the EIA reveals significant ecological damage , appropriate compensation and remediation measures should be undertaken to help restore affected ecosystem to its original state as much as possible.