A/Ibom Govt Begins Clampdown On Illegal Mining, Shuts Chinese Firm

Akwa Ibom State government has intensified clampdown on illegal operators, leading to the sealing of a Chinese firm.

The commissioner for environment and  minerals resources, Chief Uno Etim Uno, who led the combined monitoring team with internal security taskforce, explained that the exercise was in line with the  discharge of the Environmental Protection and Internal Security mandates of their respective ministries.

Uno, and the commissioner in – charge of the Ministry of Internal Security, Brigadier Gen. Koko Essien (rtd), LEADERSHIP gathered, embarked on an unscheduled inspection tour of a Chinese mining firm, Ruitai Mining Company, in Esuk Ikim Akeme community, Ibeno LGA.

The joint ministerial inspection team, it was learnt,  arrived Ibeno community, and conducted investigation round the mining sites led by the chairman of Ibeno local government area, High Chief Williams Mkpa.

Disclosing their findings that led to the sealing of the firm, Chief Uno said:  “The team discovered black clay-like minerals contained in sack bags of 50kg, and described by the miners as Titanium Ore.

“On critical examination of the site amidst tight security, the managing director and director of the company, Zeng Zhonghuan and Huang Ying, were not available at the site. The available staff members could not provide any information or documents.”

At the end of the inspection tour, the commissioner disclosed that several anomalies were uncovered about the operations of the company, noting that the company, Ruitai Mining Company, is purely an exploration company.

“Ruitai mining company’s board of directors comprises only Chinese, thus, not eligible to acquire the small-scale mining licence as claimed.

The company has not conducted the Environmental Impacts Assessment ( EIA) in its mining operations. The company has not submitted the  Environmental Management Plan (EMP), among others,” he stressed.

He, therefore, directed that Ruitai Mining Company should terminate its mining operations forthwith, until due clearance legitimizing its operations is completed with the state government.

He said: “The Company should approach Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources with all the relevant papers authorizing its operations, with full coordinate of the area approved for its mining operations.

“All security operatives should be withdrawn from the mining site, while the DPO of Ibeno LGA, SP Victor Ezekwu, should enforce the directive in order to ensure strict compliance.”