Govt Revokes 3,400 Miners’ Operational Licences

An  agency under the  Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Nigeria Mining Cadastre says it has  revoked 3,400 operational licences belonging to  operators of  the sector in the last two years.

The license were revoked for their failure  to meet up with operational  guidelines  as stipulated  by provisions of the law.

The Director General/ Chief Executive Officer (CEO),  Nigeria Mining Cadastre office Engr. Obadiah Simeon Nkom disclosed this  yesterday while answering questions from journalists in Calabar at a sensitization workshop with critical stakeholders in Cross River State.

Engr. Nkom said the  3,400 operational licenses were  between the year 2021 and 2022 because the licence owners failed to abide by the Operational guidelines stipulated by the law.

Nkom explained that the one day sensitisation workshop for stakeholders was particularly focussed on the adoption of electronic Mining Cadastre System –eMC Plus, adding that the system  if adopted is capable of adding value to the sector.

He enumerated highlights of the electronic Mining Cadastre-eMC+ to include, online mineral title administration, ease of usage by all stakeholders, transparency in mineral title administration, and ease of doing business in Nigeria Mining sector.

“We have 100 percent  in terms of litigation, with this no one can hold the entire country to ransom.

The CEO maintained that licenses were revoked particularly  if the operator failed to remedy the situation within the period of 30days.

“We follow those procedures, if the operator doesn’t complete anything we are doing, we are doing it in line with the law,it’s the reason we have 100 percent  success in litigation.

The CEO averred  that arrangements were on ground to publish another list of defaulters that would be gazetted.

He assured that at the end of sensitization, every stakeholders will know how to use that system before the launching of the portal which will be taking place in Abuja during the Nigerian Mining week  November 1, 2022 stressing that the zonal offices will still be operational where they will be able to key in and continue to familiarize themselves to get used to the system.

The Chairman, Mineral and Mines Environmental Compliance Committee, Mr Patrick Iwara  noted that before eMC+ and before the introduction of Cadastre, Mining and lands allocation from the ministry of mining was faced with a lot of problems.

He said  since the Cadastre system was put in place it was possible to stop the overlap.

One of the participants of the sensitization workshop, Lady Diamond Sikibo disclosed that one of the major challenges miners faced is multiple taxation, saying that she’s optimistic that the eMC+ will be able to tackle those issues.

In his remarks, HRH Sunday Evon, Clan head of Akpet Central, Biase LGA in Cross River state, lamented  the ill treatment of the community by Miners, stressing that the community has  nothing to show for its abundant resources,  appealing  that mining companies should commence corporate social responsibility projects.

“Time has passed where the miners will cheat on the community, they should not treat the community like local people.

We have nothing to show for the abundant resources we have.

There’s no light, no empowerment, no road, no street lights, no water and they are building mansions in their various communities after ripping our community, so all that must stop.

“We should know the type of mineral they are taking from our community and some percentage be given to us to develop our community.

For now we have even withdrawn our consent from the companies until we sort out things so that people will not think that the chiefs or traditional rulers are the ones making it and other villagers are not benefitting, he lamented.