The Oyo State government has set up a task force with a mandate to tackle illegal mining in the state as it declared that the era of daylight robbery of mineral resources is gone.
The setting up of the task force headed by the Director General, Oyo State Solid Minerals Agency, Mr Abiodun Oni, was informed by acts of criminalities linked to illegal miners particularly in the Oke-Ogun area of the state.
Three local government areas namely Olorunsogo, Irepo and Oorelope were identified as hotspots of illegal mining when the state deputy governor, Mr Bayo Lawal, convened a meeting of heads of security agencies, government officials in security, chairmen of the concerned local government areas at the state Secretariat, Ibadan.
The meeting had brought to the fore the crimes and criminalities that residents around the Old Oyo National Park and people in Oke-Ogun zone and environs were constantly subjected to by the illegal miners.
The meeting resolved that using relevant state and federal law, the state government, through the task force, would go all out to stop illegal mining across the state.
The task force headed by Abiodun Oni also has as members representatives of security agencies like Amotekun, the Joint Security Unit known as Operation Burst, Zonal Mining Office and government appointees in the area of security.
The task force has a mandate to come up with a template and Standard Operating Procedure in the next two weeks.
Chairman of the task force, Abiodun Oni said the mandate to stamp out illegal mining would not be limited to the identified three local government areas, Oke-Ogun zone but the entire state.
In a related development, Governor Seyi Makinde has mandated the 33 newly-elected Local Government Chairmen to take responsibility for the challenges and opportunities in the mining sector in their respective areas.
The governor spoke through the Director-General of the Oyo State Mineral Development Agency and Executive Chairman of the Pacesetter Mineral Development Company, Mr. Abiodun Oni, during a meeting held at the Agency’s office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.
Makinde emphasised the importance of harnessing the state’s mineral resources for the benefit of citizens, noting, however, that the operations in the sector must not be allowed to have adverse effect on the security of lives and property in the state.
Oni highlighted that while the mining sector is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, states and local governments have a critical role to play in ensuring that mining operations are conducted securely and with the consent of host communities.
He charged the local government chairmen in the state to ensure that miners obtain the necessary consent letters and Community Development Agreements before commencing operations.
The Director General emphasised that the primary duty of the government is to protect life and property, and that local government chairmen must take this responsibility seriously, as mining operations can sometimes be accompanied by security risks.
He urged the chairmen to collaborate with the state government to ensure that Oyo State is not a security risk in the mining industry.
In his goodwill message at the event, the Chairman of Oluyole Local Government, Engr. Akeem Olatunji, acknowledged the security challenges associated with mining operations.
He urged his colleagues to work with the state government to maintain security and protect life and property in their areas.
The event was attended by local government chairmen, traditional rulers and stakeholders in the mining industry.
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