Akwa Ibom clamps down on illegal miners, dredgers, arrest 12 culprits

Akwa Ibom State government is going after illegal miners and dredgers, warning sternly that it would not condone such illicit activities, owing to the adverse impact on the environment.

Commissioner for Environment, Charles Udoh, who stated this, said so far about 12 culprits have been apprehended and are presently facing prosecution, adding that five dredgers were impounded from them.

The Commissioner expressed dismay over the unwholesome activities of the miners and dredgers and stressed that it was no longer business as usual for them in the state as they must follow due process in the discharge of their businesses.

Specifically, he mentioned a top government official in Benue State who has been doing illegal dredging in the state without passing through the state government formalities.

Udoh, however, appealed to them to be properly organized so as to key into government projects, especially the much talked about seaport, which he added would require enormous excavation and dredging work, being a dugout port.

He said, “I want to make it clear that, I will not allow anybody come here and destroy the state. The law says that mining activity is on the Exclusive List of the Federal Government. But the law also says that the environment is on the Concurrent List of the state government, which means that the state has a say.

“So, I say to every miner, go to Abuja and get a license, but if you come to Akwa Ibom, we must look for you. The reasons are these, first, security. Second, we spend a lot of money to build physical infrastructure and people are threatening those infrastructures. So, we cannot sit back. Third, you cannot come to our state and be mining and dredging without paying taxes because the environmental issue is on the Concurrent List.

“If you want to do mining and dredging, get a license from the Ministry of Mining and Steel. If you want to go into the waterways, go to Nigerian Inland Waterways. When you finish, come and we will go and see the location.

“When we approve that location, you come and give us the MoU with the community that they have approved that you should dredge there. And after that, you show evidence of tax payment to Akwa Ibom State government and then the development fees and we will approve that site and the site is not for infinity.

“The law says in water, you cannot dredge less than 150 meters away from the shoreline to avoid erosion and flood. And in the hinterland, you cannot dredge less than 500 meters from critical infrastructure.

“As we speak, none of the 12 persons in detention is registered. I had called for a dialogue with the miner association and dredgers and I told them that it is not going to be business as usual. In fact, a commissioner of rural development in Benue has a dredger in Akwa Ibom and it’s not registered. We must do this thing properly. They must follow due process.”