The decision of the Cross River State government to halt mining activities has been hailed by various civil society groups, following the unwholesome practices of artisanal and industrial miners in the state.
The Executive Director of Health Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr Nnimmo Bassey, commended Cross River State for taking such a step to protect the people and environment, noting that it is ecologically harmful to allow mining in the very sensitive environment of the state.
He noted that the rate of unregulated mining activities in the otherwise protected forests of Cross River State has been very worrisome and posed threats that have repercussions beyond the boundaries of the state and the nation.
In a statement sent to Nigerian Tribune, Dr Bassey urged the governor to prioritise and sustain the policy, bearing in mind that mining in community forests and other biodiversity hotspots is highly harmful and only enriches the individuals and corporations involved.
Dr Bassey also urged governors of other states to emulate Senator Bassey Edet, the governor of Cross River State, in saving the fragile and threatened ecosystems across Nigeria.
Shehu Akowe, HOMEF’s project lead on mining, decried the rampant mining in the nation and urged the government to build on this momentum by implementing an all-inclusive reform in the mining sector with the interest of communities as its centerpiece.”
He stressed that the reform should prioritise environmental and socioeconomic impact assessments for environmental sustainability.
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