Experts and stakeholders in the nation’s mining sector have called on the Federal and State Governments to prevent what could be a repeat of the recent catastrophe that rocked a part of Ibadan, Oyo State.
There was an explosion at Dejo Oyelese Street, Adeyi Avenue, Old Bodija, Ibadan, penultimate Tuesday evening, killing and injuring unspecified number of people, while properties were destroyed.
Governor Seyi Makinde had declared that the explosion was a result of some explosive materials being used for mining.
It was gathered that the miner that stockpiled the explosive device was a Malian who had been operating in Ibadan for years.
The Ibadan explosion has further raised concerns about the safety of the people in mining areas in Osun, Niger, Zamfara, and other states where mining activities are carried out.
Experts and other stakeholders have expressed concern over the materials being used for mining in the states, lamenting that governments in the affected states had yet to take decisive steps to prevent a reoccurrence of the disastrous explosion in Ibadan.
They asked governments not to delay in checkmating the indiscriminate mining activities going on in their domains.
The stakeholders said the Ibadan explosion was an eyeopener to the looming danger of indiscriminate mining in communities, insisting that both legal and illegal miners must be checked for the safety of the society.
Even after the Ibadan tragedy, checks by The Point revealed that explosive materials were being used at quarry and some mining sites where core mining was taking place in some states.
A non-governmental initiative, Urban Alert, attributed the Ibadan explosion to the weakness of Nigeria’s mining laws and the inadequacies of public institutions, noting that it was exposing Nigerians to greater dangers.
The group, in a press release by its Communication Associate, Titilade Alayande, opined that weak mining laws and the inadequacies that existed in Nigeria’s public institutions created a conducive environment for illegal and uncontrolled mining.
According to Urban Alert, all the states in Nigeria must learn from the Ibadan explosion and must work with relevant federal government agencies to ensure compliance for the use and storage of essential mining materials that have the capacity to cause havoc before and after usage.
Speaking on the danger of indiscriminate mining in Osun, the group said, “Quarry and mining sites carrying out core mining activities may not escape the use of explosives for blasting rocks and hard surfaces.
“Therefore, we cannot wash off the hands of both licensed and illegal miners in Osun State from the use of explosives too. This is evident in communities like Iperindo, Odo-Ijesa, Iwoye-Ede and Obaagun where quarry and core gold mining activities exist.
“The Osun State government must as a matter of urgency liaise with relevant federal government agencies like the Mining Cadastre Office and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency to carry out a health and safety audit to ensure that there is compliance in the storage and use of harmful materials
“It is essential to emphasise the gravity of engaging in mining activities and the potential risks associated with improper handling of mining materials like the explosives. Weak mining laws and the inadequacies that exist in Nigeria’s public institutions create a conducive environment for illegal mining and uncontrolled mining, leading to significant lapses in public safety.
“The weak mining laws and weak government agencies open windows for illegalities and miners (licensed and illegal) often exploit the system.
“We call on the government to prioritise the safety of Nigerians by sincerely probing the activities of miners and avert a repeat of this incident.
“We must safeguard the environment and fulfil our responsibility towards protecting Nigerians.”
Reacting to the Ibadan explosion, the Ijesa Mineral Resources Advocacy Forum (IMRAF), called on security agencies in the state to investigate miners using explosive devices in Osun State and bring them under control.
The Advocacy Coordinator of the group, Wale Idowu, said it was high time the government gave priority to the safety of people rather than pecuniary gains.
Idowu stated, “We must be concerned about the mining system in Ijesaland and other parts of Nigeria. We have since 2020 been advocating sustainable mining.
“When you talk about sustainable mining, you are looking at the need to stop the use of heavy metals in mining because of their influence and consequences of such heavy metals.
“The incident in Ibadan signposted the need for citizens in Osun and other states, corporate citizens as well as ordinary people, to be very cautious; and the government should put the citizens interest above the pecuniary gain.
“The government should put on a thinking cap on how to generate revenue without jeopardising the future of the people they are governing. The interest of the people and keeping a safe environment should the uppermost.
“The Ibadan experience has buttressed the point that both the citizens and government have roles to play in protecting the environment.
The traditional leaders also have serious roles to play in ensuring a clean, healthy and safe environment, and in ensuring that the interests of their people are well protected. They don’t have to negotiate their future on the altar of naira and kobo. Those are the lessons we need to learn from the Ibadan explosion.”
Asked about the materials being used for mining activities in Ijesaland, Idowu said, “Certainly, the miners use explosive devices, not only in Ijesaland but everywhere where mining is taking place. At our end in Ijesaland, we conducted soil and water test, and the results showed that some of these miners, particularly the artisanal miners, engaged in the use of heavy metals. That is responsible for the pollution of some rivers in Osun.
“Apart from the fact that the miners use explosives for unearthening the minerals, they also engaged in the use of heavy metals in washing them, and as a result the water underneath got polluted. The vascular impact of such practice is kidney, liver, skin and other severe diseases. We have been also warned before that pregnant women will start to experience stillbirth and it will be better to attend to such issues in earnest.
“Mining in an international business; it is because of who we are in this part of the world that sees us doing things adversely. Mining has its own process that must be duly followed.”
