Kayode Fayemi, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has called for urgent action to avert an imminent landslide in Enugu city as a result of previous mining activities in the area.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with mining and steel stakeholders in Enugu, Fayemi said a “state of emergency” was needed in Enugu to address this threat.
The minister, who earlier inspected Okpara and Onyeama mines in Enugu, said he saw the land degradation caused by mining activities which took place in the area in the past.
Fayemi said he saw deep tunnels created by past mining activities and yet people were there at the abandoned coal mines excavating sand illegally.
“Landslide is imminent in Enugu if something is not done. In fact, a state of emergency is what we need.
Money has been appropriated in 2017 budget for an audit of the coal mines. But in doing something, there should be some bitter pills. There should be relocation of some properties”, he said.
The minister reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government towards revamping coal exploitation, pointing out that the Power Sector Roadmap makes provision for generating 30 percent of energy output of the country from coal.
On the anxiety of states who feel that they should benefit from royalties paid for solid minerals from their land, Fayemi said the Federal Government extended the derivation principle previously obtainable in oil producing Niger Delta states to states where mining activities are taking place. “So, whatever you generate, you get 13 percent derivation. That is one way we can get sense of ownership. We are also addressing questions of multiple taxation and ancestral ownership of land. Although people can get consent for mining from communities, we feel the states can also play a role because the consent we receive in Abuja will bear the imprimatur of the community and ratification of the state”, Fayemi said.
Enugu has about 16 abandoned coal mines containing an estimated one billion tons of unexploited coal deposits.

POSTED BY:OPUOMONI PRIYE
DATE:04/25/2017

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