TRAGEDY struck last week as no fewer than 20 miners trapped at a mining site in Galkogo Community in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State died. One of the mining pits belonging to a company, African Mineral and Logistics Ltd, was said to have collapsed on the over 50 miners who were at work on the site. The pit reportedly caved in after a torrential rain on Sunday, June 2, burying many of the miners underground. Among the casualties was the chief security officer of the mining company, who reportedly died while making valiant efforts to rescue some of the victims. While the villagers heightened efforts to rescue the trapped miners, another portion of the mining pit caved in and the villagers took to their heels, abandoning the victims to their fate.
Reacting to the incident, the Niger State police command said the lack of equipment and the heavy rubble were hindering rescue operations. It said that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, along with the state’s Commissioner for Homeland Security and Commissioner for Minerals Resources, visited the accident scene, where the engineer at the site confirmed that 20 persons were trapped under the rock but only six persons had been rescued. In its own reaction to the incident, the Senate urged the Federal Government to adopt time-tested safety measures and regulations on mining activities in the country to prevent industrial hazards. It also called for the deployment of adequate security to mining sites and communities to curb the activities of bandits. In the same vein, it urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to mobilise resources for the recovery of the remains of the victims.
Following the incident, President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enforcing insurance policy for mine workers in Nigeria. Represented by Dele Alake, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, who visited the state in the wake of the incident, the president also indicated that to enhance safety measures and provide relief to miners and their families in the event of accidents, the issue of insurance policies for miners across the country would be enforced. He reiterated the government’s pronouncement that remediation plans must accompany mining licence applications, stating that irresponsible mining operations posing threats to the environment and communities would no longer be tolerated.
To be sure, the incident in Niger State is most unfortunate. It represents one of the major hazards associated with mining activities. We commiserate with the families and friends of the victims and hope that they will have the fortitude to survive this terrible hour. We also hope that the Niger State government will ensure that all the lapses observed during the rescue efforts are corrected going forward. While tragedies at mines are not unheard of, it is a fact that prompt response by the organs of the state often saves lives. In the present case, it is distressing that rescue operations were hampered by the lack of appropriate equipment. Had the rescue efforts not been limited by the dearth of modern equipment, the pace would have been faster, quicker and more effective, and some of the dead would have been saved. The spectacle of victims trapped under the rubble more than a week after the incident is horrendous. It speaks to the accustomed ineffectiveness in the country’s response architecture.
There are, of course, also concerns about the mining sector being left in the hands of illegal miners in collaboration with a few unpatriotic, corrupt elite. This issue resonated across the country during the explosions that took place in Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, this year. There is nothing as yet to suggest that the issue has received the kind of official attention that it requires. Besides, the operators in the industry ought to be made to observe standard safety and operational procedures, such that they can prevent accidents, and respond appropriately when they eventually occur, with a reasonable degree of effectiveness. It is noteworthy that the Federal Government has made clear its stance on remediation plans accompanying mining license applications. Its position that irresponsible mining operations pose threats to the environment cannot be faulted, but whether or not such activities will no longer be tolerated is another question entirely. The government must walk its talk and end the pernicious practice of issuing lofty statements after tragedies while the loopholes in the system remain unplugged.
We urge the government to investigate the incident thoroughly and ensure that the lapses that cost the country needless losses of human lives are decisively addressed.
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