The Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Toto chapter, has condemned an alleged illegal mining activity taking place in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
This is contained in a petition letter signed by the Speaker of YAN in the LGA, Yusuf Omehi; Deputy Speaker, Abdulmutalib Adazigu; and the Clark, Ismaila Shafa; and made available to newsmen in Toto on Sunday.
The YAN in the letter dated June 22, 2022, which was addressed to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, condemned the alleged illegal mining activity of Joeffrey International Mining Limited with registration number RC1383854 at Gombe Village in Toto LGA.
The youth group accused the mining company for not obtaining clearance from relevant authorities including YAN before commencing mining and called on the Ministry to direct the company to vacate the site immediately.
“As a responsible umbrella organisation saddled with the responsibility of protecting the rights and interests of all youths in Toto, we don’t condone or aid illegalities and cannot sit by and watch strangers flood our farms, bushes and forests in their thousands in the name of mining especially with the spate of insecurity ravaging all parts of the country.
“We, therefore, have not given any consent to the said Joeffry International Mining Limited and we are not going to give it,” YAN’s letter stated.
The YAN added that it was aware of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and its compendium Minerals and Mining Regulations, 2011, which prohibits holders of exploration licences applicants from engaging in mining activities until the exploration leases applied for are granted.
“To our greatest dismay, however, the above exploration lease applicant has already commenced serious mining activities in the area using all kinds of labourers that to us are a clear security threat”, the letter added.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Mine Workers in the state, Musa Nasir, described the activities of Joeffry International Mining Limited as illegal and dangerous and urged the company to discontinue work at the site till it got all the appropriate clearance to continue.
He said, “I can authoritatively tell you that Jeoffry international is not a registered mining entity in Nasarawa State. So I have written to the ministry who is in charge of mining and also wrote to the executive governor of Nasarawa State on the illegality been perpetuated in his state.”
Responding to the allegations, the Director, Jeoffry International Mining Limited, Jeoffry Sule, debunked the accusations and maintained that his company was a legitimate company carrying out a legitimate activity.
Sule added that he had licenses to back up his claim and allayed fears that his company’s activities will engender insecurity in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that in response to the petition letter from YAN, a team of mining inspectors from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Nasarawa State office in Lafia, led by Engr Gideon Lazarus, visited the site on Friday, June 29 and carried out investigation on the allegations levelled against the company.
The team, however refused to reveal the outcome of their investigation, adding that it would only reveal its investigation after a proper report had been written and submitted to the Federal Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
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The Youth Assembly of Nigeria, Toto chapter, has condemned an alleged illegal mining activity taking place in the Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
This is contained in a petition letter signed by the Speaker of YAN in the LGA, Yusuf Omehi; Deputy Speaker, Abdulmutalib Adazigu; and the Clark, Ismaila Shafa; and made available to newsmen in Toto on Sunday.
The YAN in the letter dated June 22, 2022, which was addressed to the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, condemned the alleged illegal mining activity of Joeffrey International Mining Limited with registration number RC1383854 at Gombe Village in Toto LGA.
The youth group accused the mining company for not obtaining clearance from relevant authorities including YAN before commencing mining and called on the Ministry to direct the company to vacate the site immediately.
“As a responsible umbrella organisation saddled with the responsibility of protecting the rights and interests of all youths in Toto, we don’t condone or aid illegalities and cannot sit by and watch strangers flood our farms, bushes and forests in their thousands in the name of mining especially with the spate of insecurity ravaging all parts of the country.
“We, therefore, have not given any consent to the said Joeffry International Mining Limited and we are not going to give it,” YAN’s letter stated.
The YAN added that it was aware of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and its compendium Minerals and Mining Regulations, 2011, which prohibits holders of exploration licences applicants from engaging in mining activities until the exploration leases applied for are granted.
“To our greatest dismay, however, the above exploration lease applicant has already commenced serious mining activities in the area using all kinds of labourers that to us are a clear security threat”, the letter added.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Mine Workers in the state, Musa Nasir, described the activities of Joeffry International Mining Limited as illegal and dangerous and urged the company to discontinue work at the site till it got all the appropriate clearance to continue.
He said, “I can authoritatively tell you that Jeoffry international is not a registered mining entity in Nasarawa State. So I have written to the ministry who is in charge of mining and also wrote to the executive governor of Nasarawa State on the illegality been perpetuated in his state.”
Responding to the allegations, the Director, Jeoffry International Mining Limited, Jeoffry Sule, debunked the accusations and maintained that his company was a legitimate company carrying out a legitimate activity.
Sule added that he had licenses to back up his claim and allayed fears that his company’s activities will engender insecurity in the area.
Our correspondent gathered that in response to the petition letter from YAN, a team of mining inspectors from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Nasarawa State office in Lafia, led by Engr Gideon Lazarus, visited the site on Friday, June 29 and carried out investigation on the allegations levelled against the company.
The team, however refused to reveal the outcome of their investigation, adding that it would only reveal its investigation after a proper report had been written and submitted to the Federal Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
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