Kebbi state government has today issued an order banning all mining sites and activities around them in the state till further notice. This was made known by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Yakubu Tafida, through a statement issued to journalists at the state government House in Birnin Kebbi citing some reason for the order.
According to the statement, the state government took the decision to ban mining activities to checkmate activities of bandits as well as to protect the host communities and the mining workers from dangers associated with the activities until the government streamlines new rules.
Tafida described the action of the state government as precautionary measures targeted at protecting the workers as well as the mining communities.
Although the statement acknowledged that mining activities is under an Exclusive Legislative List, the state government had to take action after a thorough security survey of the activities surrounding the mining in the state.
According to the SSG, the protection of lives and properties of the citizens of the state is the primary responsibility of the state government; therefore, protecting the mining field from making it a terrorist den is another one, from both foreign and local collaborators is of paramount importance to both the state and the country at large.
In his statement, “This has happened in other neighbouring states which we want to avert”.
He explained that the state government has decided to take this path to first evaluate and appraise the comprehensive regulation that will be deployed as a yardstick for the would-be miners henceforth in the state, and to also safeguard the state from environmental degradation and to improve revenue to state government.
