By Onwa Ekor
After a strategic meeting with key stakeholders in the mining sector, Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, Friday, announced the immediate ban on illegal mining across the state.
The directive, however exempts only operators with legitimate approvals from the federal government as the state government moves to restore order and transparency in an industry increasingly associated with security and environmental concerns.
Otu said the state can no longer tolerate a situation where a sector with enormous economic potential gradually becomes a source of instability and social disruption in several communities.
“This sector is strategic to the economic future of our state,” the governor said, pointing out that “instead of bringing prosperity to our communities, it is gradually becoming a source of serious concern.
“We believe wealth can still be created from mining, but it must be done ethically, legally and with full responsibility,” the governor averred.
According to him, intelligence reports had shown a worrying influx of unregulated operators into mining communities, including foreign nationals whose identities and operational structures were largely unknown to the state.
“I have been receiving reports about the influx of strangers and aliens into our various communities.The truth is that we do not even know who many of these operators are, hence we must know those who are in our state and what exactly they are doing in our environment,” Otu added.
The governor also lamented that certain local actors had compounded the problem by aiding and abetting illegal activities in the sector.
“Some clan and village heads have become part of the problem by facilitating activities that are not properly regulated,” he disclosed.
He explained that he personally initiated discussions with federal authorities and security agencies to strengthen monitoring in the sector, with assurances that rangers would be deployed to assist the state, a process, he noted, has taken far too long, and the few personnel on ground clearly insufficient, considering the scale of the problem.
The governor stressed that after months of patience and observation, it had become clear that the state must take firmer action to protect its communities and natural resources.
“We have given enough time of grace, there comes a point where government must act decisively. That time has now come.
“I am imposing a total ban on illegal mining in this state, let everyone return to their locations, when you are ready to come back, you must first report to the Ministry and be properly profiled before any activity resumes,” he directed.
Warning that only operators with verifiable approvals and proper documentation would be allowed to continue operating in the state, Otu said, those who have legitimate approvals from the federal government and whose activities are already known to the ministry will not be affected.
“Anybody entering our communities to mine without proper authorization should understand that those days are over,” he cautioned.
He explained that the situation is affecting the security of the state, farmers and creating too many problems for communities.
To ensure strict compliance with the directive, the governor ordered the State Security Adviser to immediately coordinate enforcement across the state.
“I want the State Security Adviser to take note that this ban comes into force immediately,” the governor directed, adding that “from tomorrow, people must begin to leave these illegal sites and return to their locations.”
He also mandated the Anti-Illegal Mining Task Force to begin continuous surveillance operations in mining areas to prevent attempts to circumvent the directive.
He further revealed that the government will soon embark on professional geological mapping of mining zones in order to properly structure the sector and attract responsible investment.
According to him, once that is done, those who want to explore or invest legitimately will have the opportunity to present their business cases.
The governor assured genuine investors that the state remain open to responsible mining, warning that exploitation of mineral resources must now follow a transparent and regulated framework.
“When we say everyone must come to the ministry for profiling, it is not an opportunity for anyone to extort people,” he clarified,“ explaining that, “it is simply about ensuring that we know who is qualified to operate and who is not.”
