Mining communities in Enugu State are raising concerns about the repeated violation of their environmental safety and the neglect of their health by coal mining companies operating in their areas.
These communities are distressed by the contamination of their drinking water sources and livelihoods due to mining activities.
They are calling on the Enugu State Government to step in and ensure that mining companies adhere to international best practices in their operations to prevent pollution and health risks.
The community representatives, including traditional leaders and presidents-general, conveyed these grievances during a press conference in Enugu, highlighting the need to revoke mining consents granted to companies that fail to meet environmental standards and continue to harm their farmlands and vegetation.
They also accused mining companies of “brazen disregard for the environmental safety of our people whose sources of water and farming have been polluted from the source.”
“Following a series of deliberations, we have unanimously agreed that we need to review the mining consent obtained by mining companies from our communities that have not lived up to expectations.
“Some of them were fraught with illegality. This is in addition to brazen disregard for the environmental safety of our people whose sources of water and farming have been polluted from the source,” they stated.
Speaking on behalf of all the mining communities in the state, the traditional ruler of the Nsude autonomous community in Udi local government, Igwe George Ejikeme Onoh, called on individuals and organisations interested in mining to reach out to the government through the Secretary of the State Government to verify that they have the consent of communities which complied with ethical, environmental and professional measures that guarantee the safety of their host communities.
“As a result of this, we would like to take this occasion to extend an invitation to all individuals/organizations interested in the mining sector to communicate with the State Government through the Secretary to the State Government as soon as possible in order to verify that they have received all necessary community consent to operate, follow the ethical, environmental and professional measures that guarantee the safety of their host communities, subject to the federal government cadastre certificates,” he stated.
He further noted that the “decision takes immediate effect upon this information.”
Those that signed the statement include, Igwe John E. Ugwu of Ezimo autonomous community, Mbah Cyril Eze, president-general of Ezimo town union in Udenu LGA, Engr. Chibuzor Ngene, president-general of Akwuke town union, Enugu South council area, Obiesie Walter Onyeka, president-general of Awha Imezi, Ezeagu council area, Eze Chinedu, Nsude president-general, Igwe Ozor Paulinus, traditional ruler of Awha Imezi autonomous community, Ezeagu local government area, among others.
