‘Illegal Mining, Logging Activities Has Destroyed Taraba’s Ecosystem’

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

The Chairman, Taraba State Committee on Environmental Protection, Public Safety, and Prohibition of Deforestation, Brig.Gen. Jeremiah Faransa (rtd) has raised the  alarm that mining and logging activities have had devastating effects on the ecosystem of the state.

Addressing a press conference in Jalingo  yesterday, Faransa lamented that illegal miners have caused serious environmental damage which must be urgently addressed before the country have another Ogoni on its hand.

He disclosed that his committee has gone round all the mining sites and communities in the state and have witnessed the extent of havoc caused to the environment by mining activities first hand.

He, however,  maintained that the state government remained committed to environmental safety while supporting legitimate mining activities.

“Taraba State government was not opposed to mining or legitimate investments in the sector, but was concerned about the damage to the environment and the need for operators to comply comprehensively with all extant laws guiding their operation”

“We cannot allow what happened in Ogoni Land to be repeated here. In nearby Plateau State, you are already aware of the damages mining activities have caused with mining sites rendering large areas unsuitable for farming.

“Under normal circumstances, miners are supposed to cover up at least 80 percent of the excavated areas, and provide schools, hospitals, water and other amenities for the host communities, but the situation in Taraba is different.

“If you see the damages caused to the environment by these illegal miners you will be shocked. We have arrested some people including foreigners from Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and some Chinese nationals. Since our mandate is to make arrest, we have since handed them over to the task force tribunal for persecution,” he said.

Faransa stressed that the committee started its work by embarking on sensitisation and advocacy visits to the mining communities to educate them on the harmful effects of illegal mining but regretted that the mining cartel disregarded the committees’ efforts. 

“The cartel’s operations have reportedly introduced various social issues, including banditry, kidnapping and drug abuse among children working at the sites. Beyond illegal mining, the cartel, using merchants have started cutting down economic trees for charcoal production, mainly for export to other states. 

“Instead of utilising dead wood for local consumption, the merchants are cutting fresh trees, causing extensive ecological harm. This practice disrupts the ecosystem and accelerates deforestation, hence our urgent intervention to stop the trend. We are all responsible for protecting our land, and we must act now to ensure it remains viable for agriculture, biodiversity, and future generations,” he stated.