The Ebonyi State Government has issued a two-month ultimatum to quarry and mining companies operating in the state to reclaim abandoned mining pits or risk being shut down, as it unveiled stricter measures to protect residents from environmental disasters linked to mining activities.
The Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Chinedu Nkah, announced the directive after a meeting with quarry operators and industry stakeholders led by Chief Chikaodili Ojimba, declaring that Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration would no longer tolerate environmental negligence or violations of mining regulations.
Nkah said the government would immediately begin a statewide inspection of mining sites to ensure operators comply with environmental, safety and community development obligations.
According to him, every quarry operator will be required to present a comprehensive land reclamation plan during the inspection exercise, which begins next week.
“If you go around, you see abandoned mining pits everywhere after minerals have been extracted. There is no plan to recover the land. We all know the danger these uncovered pits pose to our people. Every company must show us, in detail and in practical terms, its pit recovery plan,” the commissioner said.
He warned that companies that fail to commence reclamation work within two months would have their operations sealed by the state government.
“We will give them a timeline, not more than two months, to begin covering abandoned pits. Any company that fails to comply will be sealed. These pits have claimed lives and we cannot continue to allow that,” Nkah declared.
The commissioner said the renewed regulatory framework is aimed at safeguarding host communities, protecting the environment and increasing internally generated revenue from the state’s solid minerals sector.
He also directed all mining firms to fully implement their Community Development Agreements (CDAs), accusing some operators of exploiting host communities while neglecting their statutory obligations.
“Some companies take advantage of the ignorance of host communities by watering down community development agreements. This government takes those agreements seriously, and companies must see their implementation as a responsibility to humanity,” he said.
Nkah further ordered operators to submit updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, noting that increased blasting activities require fresh environmental evaluations to protect nearby communities.
He also condemned the poor welfare conditions of quarry workers, particularly the use of unsafe vehicles for transportation.
“Some companies transport workers in vehicles that are not fit for human beings, while others provide no transportation at all. That is unacceptable when these companies are making huge profits from our natural resources,” he said.
On revenue generation, the commissioner directed all operators to present valid operational permits, warning that failure to regularise their documentation deprives the state of legitimate revenue.
He equally announced a crackdown on the illegal transportation of mineral products at night, describing the practice as a major source of revenue leakages.
“The law is against night movement because it is one of the easiest ways mineral products leave the state without proper monitoring. We are going to enforce the law strictly,” he stated.
To sustain compliance, Nkah disclosed that the ministry would establish a task force to monitor mining operations and enforce government directives across the state.
Addressing complaints from residents of Amika community over alleged structural damage caused by quarry blasting, the commissioner said the government had brokered an agreement requiring the affected company to rebuild damaged houses and employ more indigenes from the host community.
“We have constituted a committee comprising representatives of the community, the company, the ministry, security agencies, the local government and the constituency office to assess the affected buildings. The company has accepted responsibility and will rebuild the damaged houses. It has also agreed to employ more people from the host community,” he said.
Nkah reaffirmed the state’s commitment to ensuring that the exploitation of Ebonyi’s abundant mineral resources translates into sustainable development, environmental protection and tangible benefits for host communities.
