From Suleiman Abubakar
Gentlemen of the Press,
2. I welcome you to this press conference
to clear the air on a claim by a mining entity
against the Nasarawa State Government.
3. The attention of the Nasarawa State
Government is drawn to a press
conference on Friday last week in Jos by
one Mr. Tim Eldon of Trimadix Geomin
Consult Limited accusing the Nasarawa
State Government of undue interference intheir mining operations in the State,
particularly, in Kokona Local Government.
4. You would recall that on the 19th of April,
2024, which is exactly two months today,
the Nasarawa State Government took a
bold step to secure the Amba Community
from the activities of illegal miners that
constitute a threat to the peace and
security of the community and its environs,
in an operation by a joint team of security
agencies in the State to close and secure
the mining site located in Amba
community of Kokona Local Government,
which I also addressed the press at the
location.
5. The action followed a petition from the
community chief on illegal mining activities
in his domain without a proper consent.
There exist in Nasarawa State, the
Executive Order No. 02 of 2022 signed into
Law by His Excellency, Engr. Abdullahi A.
Sule, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa
State, which particularly, provides that all
community Consent and Development
Agreement made pursuant to Section 116
of the Mineral and Mining Act, 2007 and
prior to signing by authenticated
Community Heads shall be forwarded to
the Ministry of Justice through the Ministry
of Environment and Natural Resources to
be vetted and certified by the Attorney
General of Nasarawa State.
7. This is to avoid multiple issuances of
community Consents and Development
Agreements to mining entities and ensure
that community development
commitments made therein is not inconflict with the overall development
masterplan of the State.
8. The Executive Order also provides that
all mining entities arriving the State with
authority of the Federal Government to
carry out mining in the State must undergo
checks by the Ministry responsible for
environment and mining and other
security agencies in the State to verify their
legal status, citizenship and background
before settlement.
9. We have carried out a series of robust
engagements and mass sensitization to
bring to the knowledge of stakeholders in
the mining sector operating in the State of
the regulatory provisions of the Executive
Order No. 02 of 2022 to promote security
and environmental safeguards in mining
communities.
10. While the Government of Nasarawa
State remains committed to promoting
investment opportunities and the growth
of businesses for economic development
and poverty reduction, Government would
not compromise its determination to rid
the State of illegal mining activities that put
the life of our people and the safety of
communities in danger.
11. We are committed to the full
enforcement of the Executive Order to
ensure that our State is safe and
communities are protected from
exploitation by mining entities.
12. The so-called mining entity claiming to
be licensed to carry out mining activities in
Amba community is not known to the
Nasarawa State Government according to
the provisions of the Executive Order No.
02 of 2022 and the mining site remainsclosed and secured until responsible
investors who are trusted by the
community and the State, through a
proper consenting, are licensed to mine in
the area.
13. The Nasarawa State Government will
continue to watch closely any further
development in that mining site, as well as
any other place with similar occurrence
that is against the interest of peace in the
State and deal decisively with any violator.
14. Let me reiterate here that the
Nasarawa State Government recognizes
the need for all communities endowed
with mineral resources in the State to be
protected from infiltration by those
unidentifiable entities, individuals,
undocumented aliens mostly with the
propensity and capacity for mischief andcriminality; and in certain cases, inducing
tension, disputes, restiveness and
disagreements between communities and
individuals leading to breakdown of law
and order.
15. Let me use this opportunity to thank
the various security agencies in the State
for their immense cooperation with the
State Government in the enforcement of
the Executive Order for the peace of
Nasarawa State.
16. I thank you, All.
