Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, has given all miners in the nation who are illegally extracting natural resources a 30-day ultimatum to either join renowned mining cooperatives or face the full wrath of the law.
This came as the minister announced a proposal to create a surveillance task force comprised of police officers and other relevant authorities to protect the country’s mines.
Alake made this known at a world news conference in Abuja on Sunday.
While announcing the 30-day ultimatum to miners and plans to introduce security operatives as part of his seven-point transformation agenda, the former editor of the defunct Concord Newspaper told reporters that he was perplexed that a country with massive amounts of precious minerals such as gold, bitumen, lithium, and uranium could fail to use the resources to liberate its citizens.
“I am giving illegal miners in this country just 30 days grace to join cooperatives or find another vocation. Also, the proposed task force will be domiciled in the ministry and will comprise operatives of all the relevant security agencies.
“For the last time, let me declare again that the ministry is giving such persons 30 days grace to join a miners’ co-operative or find another vocation to do.
“On the expiration of the period, the full weight of the law will fall on anyone seen on a mining site without a determinable status. This message will be interpreted into Nigerian languages and broadcast on the radio to ensure no one is ignorant of this directive.
“From October, a rejuvenated security regime will become active in the solid minerals sector. This will include the Mine Police, sourced from the Nigeria Police and specially trained to detect illegal mining and apprehend offenders. The new Mines Surveillance Security Task Force will coordinate the Mines Police and proactively address high-risk incidences of breach of Mining Laws. The Federal and State governments will also be encouraged to allocate the prosecution of cases against illegal miners to competent courts,” he stated.
cc: Punch Ng
