The Ogun State Government has read a riot act against illegal miners and dredgers operating within its domain, threatening necessary legal actions and stiff sanctions against anyone of them identified as law breaker.
Penpushing reports the Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adebola Sofela, made the government position known on this at a stakeholders meeting with miners and dredgers held at the Ministry’s Conference Room, in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Commissioner describing mining and dredging as an important sector across the globe considering its revenue and employment generation potentials, however, affirmed that the need for responsible mining and dredging cannot be over-emphasised.
Penpushing further reports that Sofela who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Olu. Ola. Aikulola, lamented the negative impacts of irresponsible mining and dredging on the community and state infrastructure, which he said can both be destructive and disruptive.
The Commissioner in the same vein, pointed out that some miners and dredgers had been operating with expired documents, and therefore called for immediate screening of the papers for various operators.
Penpushing also reports that Sofela urged the miners to adhere and be alive to their Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR]and commitment to government, stressing that both the community and government should not be short-changed in the scheme of things.
‘The note of warning I am giving today is an indication that it is not going to be business as usual going forward. If you are arrested for illegal mining and dredging, you will be made to face the full wrath of the law’, he declared.
‘Mining is a win-win thing if done responsibly but destructive and disruptive when it is irresponsibly carried out given the monumental financial effects it has on government and community at large. We have a collective responsibility to protect our environment and see that things are done according’, he said.
Penpushing reports that, Mr. Ebenezer Aina, responding on behalf of the miners and dredgers commended the government for its efforts at ensuring that standard practice were adhered to in their operations.
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