The Health Of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has hailed the Cross Rivers State government’s decision to halt unregulated mining activities, following the unwholesome practices of artisanal and industrial miners in the state.
HOMEF’s Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, commended the state for taking a step to protect the people and environment, saying that it was ecologically harmful to allow mining in the state’s sensitive environment.
He lamented the rate of unregulated mining activities in the otherwise protected forests of Cross River State saying it posed threats that had repercussions beyond the boundaries of the state and the nation.
Dr. Bassey further urged the governor to prioritize and sustain the policy, bearing in mind that mining in community forests and other biodiversity hotspots is highly harmful and only enriches and profits the individuals and corporations involved in the nefarious activities.
He also urged governors of other states to emulate Senator Prince Bassey Edet, the governor of Cross River State, in saving the fragile and already threatened ecosystems across Nigeria.
Shehu Akowe, HOMEF’s project lead on mining, decried the rampant uncontrolled 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 centrepiece.”
He stressed that the reform should prioritize environmental and socioeconomic impact assessments for environmental sustainability.
