By Obiabin Onukwugha
The decision of the Cross Rivers State government to halt mining activities has been hailed by various civil society groups across Nigeria.
Recently the state Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu banned mining activities across the state following the unwholesome practices of artisanal and industrial miners.
Reacting the development, the civil societies called for an urgent halt to regulate mining in the country.
The Executive Director of Health Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, who joined in the call, commended the Cross River State government for the action, saying it will protect the people and the environment.
Bassey in a statement made a available to NatureNews in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Thursday noted that it is ecologically harmful to allow mining in the very sensitive environment of the state.
He noted that the rate of unregulated mining activities in the otherwise protected forests of Cross River State has been very worrisome as it posed threats that have repercussions beyond the boundaries of the state and the nation.
Dr. Bassey further urged the governor to prioritize and sustain the policy, bearing in mind that mining in community forests and other biodiversity hotspots is highly harmful and only enriches and profits the individuals and corporations involved in the nefarious activities.
He also urges governors of other states to Otu in saving the fragile and already threatened ecosystems across Nigeria, through the banning of such illegal activities.
On his part, HOMEF project lead on mining, Shehu Akowe, decried the rampant and uncontrolled mining across the nation and urged the government to build on the momentum set by the Cross River State government by implementing an all-inclusive reform in the mining sector with the interest of communities as its centerpiece.
He added that the reform should prioritize environmental and socioeconomic impact assessments for environmental sustainability.