As C’River Legislator Reports Illegal Miners, House Of Reps Orders End To Activities
Dr Alex Egbona, the member representing the Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in the lower arm of the National Assembly has called out illegal miners suspected to be natives of the Sahel Region of West Africa over their illegal mining activities in parts of Yakurr Local Government Area of Cros River State.
The illegal miners are reported to have invaded some communities in Cross River State, including Agoi Ekpo, Agoi Ibami, and Ekom Agoi communities in the Yakurr Local Government Area of the state.
On Thursday, in a motion under matters of urgent public interest, drew the attention of the House to the fraudulent and illegal activities of miners in the communities and sought the intervention of the House to stop the malaise.
In it, he raised the alarm over the growing presence of illegal miners believed to be from the Sahel region of West Africa and said their activities were against the interest of the communities and even the state.
“The people of these communities are living in fear due to the presence of these invaders who operate illegally and pose serious security risks. Their unregulated mining activities also contribute to environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of natural resources, which could have long-term consequences for the affected communities,” Egbona stated.
The motion was titled “alarm over the invasion of Agom Ibami, Agoi Ekpo over the invasion of Agom Ibami, Agoi Ekpo and Ekom Agoi Communities of Yakurr by armed foreigners from the Sahel region of West Africa suspected to be illegal miners and the need to protect lives and legitimate mining activities.”
He observed that the presence of armed foreign miners constituted a breach of Nigeria’s territorial integrity, a violation of the rights of local inhabitants and an affront to the rule of law. It further highlighted that mining when carried out lawfully plays a crucial role in the national and local economy by providing jobs and fostering development.
The House, in its resolution, condemned the invasion of the communities and urged the federal government to take decisive action to remove the illegal miners and restore order to the affected communities.
The lawmakers also emphasized the need to support officially recognized mining companies to carry out their operations without undue interference and directed the committees on Army, Police, national security and solid minerals to investigate the circumstances surrounding the invasion and report back with recommendations within four weeks for further legislative action.
