File: From left — Philip Jakpor, board member, Environmental Defenders Network, EDEN; Abayomi Francis, Executive Director, Peace and Development Project, PEDEP; Chima Williams, Executive Director, EDEN; Vicky Urenma, Executive Director, Child Health Organisation, and Abiodun Bakare, Secretary, Lagos Chapter of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees, AUPCTRE, at the opening of EDEN Lagos office.
By Agbonkhese Oboh
The Renevlyn Development Initiative, RDI, and partners have petitioned the Speaker of Nasarawa State House of Assembly over what they described as destructive mining ongoing at Awe and Karu local government areas of the state.
They drew his “attention to the state of environment and living conditions in the mining axis in Abuni community in Awe Local Government Area and Uke in Karu Local Government Area, both of which contribute largely to the revenue base of Nasarawa state.”
They noted that in spite of the massive extraction of lead, copper, zinc, and lately, lithium, Abuni community lacks basic social amenities such as roads, hospitals, and schools for the teeming number of school-age children.
The RDI partners are the Environmental Defenders Network, EDEN; Citizens Free Service Forum, CFSF, and Neighborhood Environment Watch, NEW, Foundation.
The petition, dated October 3, 2024, is entitled: “PETITION ON STATE OF MINING ENVIRONMENT IN AWE AND KARU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF NASARAWA STATE”.
It was signed by Philip Jakpor, Barrister Chima Williams, Comrade Sani Baba, and Dr. Kelechi Okezie, executive directors of RDI, EDEN, CFSF, and NEW Foundation respectively.
They urged the Nasarawa State House of Assembly to side with the impacted people of Abuni community in their quest for environmental justice.
Other demands in the petition were:
- Carry out a fact-finding visit to Abuni community with particular attention on the communities around the mining sites and the Rafin Jaki River. Uke district should also be visited.
- Carry out a comprehensive environmental audit of Abuni community, Uke district and environs including their source of water and farm environment
- Revoke the mining license of the company involved if the investigation shows breach of Nigeria’s environmental laws
- Compel the mining company to take full responsibility for the clean-up and other remediation efforts on the environment in Abuni Community.
- Compel the mining company to pay compensation to impacted people
- Halt artisan mining practices that affect the people and environment in Abuni community and Uke district
- Carry out proper oversight on mining operations in Abuni, Uke district and other mining communities in Nasarawa State.
- Investigate and scrutinise agreements reached between the mining firms and some unscrupulous traditional rulers who have, through their actions, put their communities in jeopardy.
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