By Yemi Olakitan
At a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Office of Mineral Resources in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), the Lagos State Government vowed to go hard on illegal miners and dredgers in the state.
The Stakeholders meeting was held with all operators in the mining sub-sector and held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.
Speaking on the theme: ‘revamping the mineral resources sector about the megacity status of Lagos’ the MEMR Commissioner Mr Biodun Ogunleye, said the stakeholders’ forum became necessary to fully acquaint all operators with steps being taken by the state government through the ministry, to protect the environment and preserve same for the coming generations.
Apart from issuing new guidelines for dredging and mining operations, Ogunleye also launched the new tarpaulin cover proposed by the government for use by operators in covering their trucks to prevent the spilling of sand on the road.
Also launched is the orange polo shirt to be worn by revenue collectors of the Ministry to give a new identity to its revenue officers.
According to Ogunleye, the state government has mandated the Office of Mineral Resources under the Ministry, which supervises mining activities in the state to enforce all relevant laws about mining and dredging operations in the state.
Ogunleye, who observed that environmental degradation is not in the best interest of the state or the operators, urged the stakeholders to embrace technological innovations to boost their operations and to collaborate with the regulators to ensure that they bequeath a sustainable city for the coming generation.
He said the Sanwo-Olu administration frowns at activities of the operators which negatively impact the environment and constitute a drawback to the state.
He said the government will come very hard against any operator whose activities continue to impact the host community or the state negatively.
Regarding the minerals as part of the state’s resources, Ogunleye said the government will not fold its hands and watch as some people deplete it unconscionably and in a deplorable manner.
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The Special Adviser to the Governor on Mineral Resources, Engr Abiola Okanlawon Olowu, said though dredging activities are on the exclusive list, the government through the Ministry has the mandate to protect Lagosians and all taxpayers from the activities of dredgers and miners who are daily depleting the state’s flora and fauna.
He said the Ministry and Waterfront Infrastructure Development will continue to collaborate in protecting the state’s mineral resources, especially in the area of sand mining and ensure that operators play by the rules and regulations laid out by the state.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Engr Solabomi Mosunmola Sasore said the government is in the process of updating its data of miners and dredgers operating in the state, and urged all operators who are yet to register with the state to come on board as they stand to benefit hugely from being recognised as dredgers and miners in the state.
Sasore said the government is interested in working to make things easy for operators and the people should cooperate with it in ensuring that they do not infringe on the rights of others or engage in acts capable of inflicting pain on residents of host communities.
Unveiling the new guidelines, the Head Solid Minerals Department, Mr. Soriola Emilio Cardozo, said it has become imperative for any operator in the state to abide by the 14 guidelines carefully put together to ensure the smooth operations of all dredgers and miners.
These include that any registered mining/dredging company must present relevant evidence of registration with the respective Federal Ministry, Department and Agency and NIWA; zero tolerance on land encroachment while the permissible depth of plastering must not go beyond three metres and immediate restoration of the site must be carried out after decommissioning.
The permissible distance between mining sites hauling the same earth materials must not be less than 10kms, while mining of lateritic soil must be 1m above the adjoining state/local government road, and all mining machinery must be in good condition, while personnel must comply with all Lagos State Health, Safety, Security and Environment (HSSE) standards.
Others, he said are the installation of first aid boxes at all dredging and mining sites, non-transferability of mining documents except where there is approval to that effect, and the imposition of penalties on dredging/mining company that sells wet sand to trucks and load above-required capacity and inappropriate channelization of water back to the lagoon.
Trucks patronizing their sites must adequately cover their sand with tarpaulin and must be well tucked in before leaving the site. Dredging/mining companies must establish and sustain corporate social responsibility (CSR) with host communities to engender peace and development with proof of these activities submitted yearly to the OMR office.
Yet other guidelines are the imposition of penalties on any dredging/mining company that does not maintain the access road to their stockpiling site, sanctioning of any operators who fail to comply with the state’s zero tolerance on traffic violation during operations; installation of safety signposts at the various sites for ease of accessibility during unsafe incidents onsite by dredging and mining companies, ensuring that their operations do not in any way lead to obstruction of drainage leading to their sites and finally, ensuring zero spillage of used oil during maintenance of all their machinery and vehicles. All used oil must be properly contained in order not to contaminate the state’s subsurface water.
He said all traditional rulers, titled chiefs and other community leaders have been enlisted to assist the government to ensure that dredgers/miners operate within the rules adding that these leaders can report the activities of anyone found culpable to the OMR for appropriate sanctions.
He warned community leaders and chiefs against colluding with these operators to destroy their ancestry lands adding that anyone caught would be prosecuted.
