…Say mining activities breed insecurity, environmental degradation, pose danger to lives
By Adeyinka Adeniran
Natives, youths, thought leaders and monarch of Itasa, in Iwajowa Local Government of the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State have called on the Federal Government to order a mining company in the community, Architype Industries Nig. Limited, to vacate their land, saying its activities constitute a danger to lives, breed insecurity and environmental degradation.
They also accused the mining company of operating without a valid Environmental Impact Assessment [EIA] and a valid Community Development Agreement [CDA].
The community leaders, who made the call when they paid on-the-spot visit to the mining site in the town, said the call became imperative following the looming danger they observed at Itasa and its environs.
Speaking with journalists in the community, a prominent son of Itasa, Prof. Bayo Aborisade, said the mining activities constituted a danger in several ways to the community.
The professor, therefore, called on the Federal Government to take the miner off their land.
He said: ‘’They are extracting minerals from our land and they have empowered many people who have taken over the land to intimidate the community, and threaten the people. They barred us from getting to the mining site, and threatened to shoot us, claiming that the Federal Government will come hard on us, as they have the backing of the Federal Government to be where they are. They spoiled the land and created settlements all over this land. The people we saw in the settlements don’t speak English, Hausa, or Fulfulde. They constitute a danger in several ways to this community. We want this mining company taken off this land.
‘’The miner does not have all the conditions the Federal Government has laid down for mining . The only thing he said he has is a title to land to mine. He does not have an Environmental Impact Assessment. He has not reached an agreement with the community on how to use the land and benefit the community’’.
The Chairman of Itasa Community Development Association, Alhaji Banji Isiaka Odedele; a youth leader, Mr Jelili Ogunlade; and Julius Farounbi said the miner must vacate their land forthwith. They asserted that mining activities had created insecurity in the town, saying as a result of that they could not go to farm.
‘’We cannot go to farm. Enough is enough. We don’t want the company to work on our land again’’, they said.
Counsel and indigene of the community , Femi Aborisade, said the company had not fulfilled conditions precedent under the law, before commencing mining activities, hence it must vacate the land.
Aborisade said: ‘’ Architype Industries (Nig.) Ltd. is carrying out illegal mining here on the ground of non fulfillment of statutorily prescribed conditions precedent. The company is mining resources in ways that negate express provisions of the law. The local government asked the company to vacate the site untill it has reached an agreement satisfactory to the community in order to avert civil unrest. The law stipulates that the company must have an agreement with the community which it has not done. There is no Environmental Impact Assessment conducted prior to commencing mining activities; no valid Community Development Agreement. They could not show them. That means the company does not have any valid legal instrument that permits it to be here. The community is saying the company should leave their land but it has refused because the federal government has not frowned against illegality”.
In his remarks, another indigene of the community and Councilor representing Ward 04 in the Iwajowa Local Government Legislative House,Hon. Naajeem Busari,
said: ‘’ There are many problems in the area because of mining activities. We have the issue of herdsmen destroying our farms day-in day-out without any compensation. We want the government to assist us and order that mining activities should stop. Since the company has been working here, we have not seen any tangible impacts it has made in the community’’.
Also speaking, the Onitile of Itasa, Oba Michael Sijuola Oyediran said: ‘’We want peace and we want them to do the right things for the town. We don’t want cheating. We want this town to develop. If the company refuses to do the right thing for the community, it should vacate our land. But if it does the right thing, it should stay’’.
On his part, Mr Olufola Awoyemi, a lawyer with Justice Development and Peace Commission [JDPC] ,Ibadan, who was part of those who visited the community, said: ‘’We thought it was a mere environmental injustice but getting there, it is more than that. There are security issues and people are angry because there is a great danger to lives of the people of Itasa and its environs. If people are not safe, they can’t go to their farms , they can’t go about their businesses. JDPC has come to take this to another level so that the whole world can know what is happening in Itasa land and the whole of Iwajowa local government”.
The Site Manager of the mining company, Abiodun Ogunbiyide, however, said the organisation complied with all laid-down requirements, even though he couldn’t show any of the legal instruments the community lawyer asked him to produce.
He said: ‘’ We got a valid mining licence to operate here. We obtained the consent from the community. We have a valid mining site. We have valid title to operate here’’.
