By Martha Asumata Agas
The Network Advancement Programme for Poverty and Disaster Risk Reduction (NAPPDRR) has urged the Federal Government to investigate alleged unregulated lithium and black sand mining in Akwa Ibom.
NAPPDRR’s Executive Director, Emem Edoho, made the call in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, alleging that the activities were being perpetrated by foreign miners.
Edoho raised concern over activities at Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve, covering Mbo, Esit Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas (LGAs), urging relevant agencies, particularly the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development, to intervene.
“NAPPDRR makes an urgent call to the Government of Akwa Ibom State, the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, NESREA and security agencies to immediately halt all unregulated mining activities in Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.
“Conduct an independent Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, investigate and block all channels of illicit financial flows associated with this extraction, restore degraded areas and ensure justice and compensation for host communities.”
According to him, field reports and community testimonies indicate that these activities, allegedly operated by foreign miners in collaboration with some local actors, have continued unchecked with grave consequences.
He said the consequences included negative environmental and ecological impacts involving large-scale deforestation, destruction of biodiversity, pollution of water bodies and loss of livelihoods for forest-dependent communities in the Stubbs Creek Forest Reserve.
He said another consequence of the action was social and infrastructural damage, as heavy-duty trucks hauling lithium and black sand had severely damaged fragile rural road infrastructure, making communities inaccessible and increasing poverty and disaster risks.
Edoho added illicit financial flows as one of the consequences, explaining that the unregulated extraction represented a massive leakage of Akwa Ibom’s natural wealth.
Minerals, he said, were extracted and evacuated without due process, royalties or community benefits, fuelling illicit financial flows that deprived the state and host communities of development funds.
He said urgent action was required to ensure that the natural resources of Akwa Ibom benefited its people and were not looted through the back door.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that community leaders in the affected areas had decried the spate of unregulated mining activities, calling for intervention to cushion the impact and enforce regulations.
Chief John Ekwere, the Village Head of Ntak Inyang Community in Esit Eket LGA, alleged that at least five trucks left the reserve area weekly with minerals, with security personnel allegedly engaged as escorts in the activity.
Edited by Peter Amine
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