NewsNigeriaPoliticsBenue State Suspends Mining Activities Across The State

Due to reports of security threats, the Benue state government has suspended mining activities across the state and commences revalidation of those engaged in mining.

Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia announced the suspension of all mining activities when he met with members of the Miners Association of Nigeria, Benue Chapter in Makurdi, saying the suspension will be lifted until miners’ data are captured.

The Governor also directed the Mineral Resources and Environment Management Committee (MIREMCO) to immediately begin documenting data of all miners in the state and frowned at the contamination of water sources for residents in the affected areas, especially in Kwande.

“Security agencies and the joint task force on illegal mining are to ensure that the right thing was done to enhance the well-being of the people and increase the Internally Generated Revenue.

“The state government will not tolerate any illegality. It is our administration’s prerogative to protect lives and property of the people,” he said.

In a remark, the state Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Mr Fidelis Mnyim who is also the chairman of the MIREMCO, said the state has come up with a checklist which would be used to scrutinize the mining sector in Benue.

On his part, the Chairman of the Nigeria Miners Association in Benue, John Tersugh promised to cooperate with the governor to sanitize the mining sector.

The Mining officer in the Federal Ministry of Mining and Solid Minerals, Mr Simon Ogwu promised to support the state government to sanitise the mining sector in Benue.

Some members of the association Benjamin Nyior and Dennis Tarhemba appealed to the governor to address multiple taxation within the industry and provide necessary mining equipment to assist them in contributing to the revenue profile of the state.

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Hassan Umar Shallpella (Regional Correspondent)

Veteran journalist and recipient of A.B.C Yola, Reporter of the Year Award (1997), Hassan Umar Shallpella, works with WAP as a Regional Correspondence. He was trained at Institute of Mass Communication and Technology Jos and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Training School Lagos.He was a News desk Editor and a Correspondent at the Punch newspaper and till 2019, was the Deputy Editor ofThe Scope newspaper.

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