By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe

The Commissioner for Industry Mines and Solid Minerals, Rt. Hon. Ernest Ibejiakor (Nwa Ndaa) on Thursday, 13th June, hosted a stakeholders meeting comprising officials from the ministry, miners and off takers in the state. The aim of the parley which held at the State Secretariat, Off Port-Harcourt, Owerri, was to sanitize and engineer progress in the Imo State mining sector following some uncomplimentary activities ravaging the sector.

Rt. Hon. Ibejiakor, who appreciated the participants’ attendance and support since assuming office, however, emphasized the importance of the meeting. “I have come to realize that a lot of challenges abound which must be tackled urgently if I must achieve the core mandates and responsibilities of my ministry. The success of our deliberations today no doubt will enable us to surmount present challenges facing mining sector and avail ourselves the opportunity to prosper and move forward to our collective benefit,” he said.

The Commissioner, stressed the importance of the sector to the ecological and environmental systems, but regretted that lack of compliance to mining regulations, conflicts among stakeholders, proliferation of mining routes and lack of proper accountability among other unethical practices have led to abysmal revenue generation to government as well as damages to the environment which called for the closure of some mining sites. He outlined the above, and solicited the corporation of all stakeholders.

Contributing, the Chairman of Miners Association of Nigeria, Imo State Chapter/South-East, Prince Ugochukwu Onyenwenwa, commended Hon. Ibejiakor for the meeting he described as timely in moving the sector forward. Meanwhile, he faulted the activities of revenue collectors as deviating from extant laws and regulations in the sector, and decried the huge loss of accruable revenues to the government because of fraudulent activities. He solicited total overhauling of the sector and promised the support of the association in getting things right.

Meanwhile, stakeholders after deliberating on critical issues affecting the ministry, unanimously agreed to work towards making the sector efficient and sustainable. The communique issued at the end of the parley outlined some of the objectives to be pursued to include: achieving harmony and cooperation among all the mining
stakeholders in the state.

It also highlighted the importance of stakeholders adhering strictly to the mining rules and regulations in the state. The communique also stated that for the reason of sustaining the ecosystems, all mining sites listed for closure shall be closed and the miners
involved be relocated to safer ecological/environmental zones. Similarly, proliferation of mining routes in the state must be curtailed.

To ensure accountability and improved revenue generation to the government, stakeholders at the meeting resolved to pursue periodic appraisal and audit of revenue collection performances in the state, while embarking on upward review of the revenue subheads of the ministry in keeping with current economic realities as approved and adopted.

Signed by stakeholders at the meeting, the communique clearly noted that any violation of the regulations, guidelines, directives and agreements in the Imo State Mining and Solid Minerals Sector would attract the weight
of the law, and called for cooperation of all involved towards achieving the desired sanity and progress in the ministry and loyalty to both the federal government and Imo State government on the issue.