The Anambra State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Mr. Edwin Osuala on Wednesday, stated the command’s resolve to synergise with the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, to protect the available mineral resources and tackle illegal mining in Anambra State.
Osuala stated this when he received Mr. Olaka Egbishi, Federal Mines Officer, Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Awka who paid him a visit at the NSCDC State Command Headquarters Awka.
The State Commandant affirmed that the Corps is fully committed to ensuring that sanity is restored in the mining sector by ensuring that the wanton illegal mining of mineral resources within the State, especially sand excavation, and destruction of the environment become a thing of the past.
In his address, Mr. Olaka Egbishi, the Federal Mines Officer, Anambra State, said the nation loses a huge amount of revenue to activities of illegal mining and solicited the support of NSCDC to curb illegal mining activities in Anambra State.
Mr. Olaka stated that the fight against illegal mining is a collective one, and required the cooperation of all citizens.
“Most of this illegal mining is carried out by people without the required licence and most times those with licence forget to pay royalties to the government. Our Ministry is poised to promote transparency in the mining sector because if properly harnessed, it would act as a catalyst to grow the nation’s economy” he said.
The Federal Mines Officer said he was optimistic that with the ministry synergizing with the NSCDC in the state, the unregulated mining activities across the state will stop. He described the refusal of some of the miners to pay royalties as economic sabotage, saying that the ministry will collaborate with the command to preserve sources through which government generates revenue for the well-being of its citizenry.
