The Society for the Promotion of People’s Rights, an (NGO), has urged miners to get their mineral titles and desist from illegal mining activities for a healthy environment.
President of the organisation, also an environmentalist, Mr Williams Osaze, said this in an interview with journalists in Abuja.
Osaze said that obtaining mineral titles from the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development legalises and modernises the activities of miners in the country.
He said that mineral titles refer to any mining lease, mining concession, mining claim, permit, surface mineral substance or other mining titles conferring rights to its holder in respect of the properties to which they relate.
According to him, the mineral title will admit them as legitimate miners and give them privilege to seek support from the Federal Government in terms of grants to boost their activities.
The President also advised the miners to desist from going into mining without mineral titles.
He urged the artisanal miners to collaborate and form cooperatives, adding that such efforts would move the government to assist them with grants to support their activities.
According to him, investors will only be attracted to the sector if legitimate activities are being carried out as the investor is guaranteed of his investments.
“The investor will have no fear in investing with any miners who have mineral titles since they are dealing with legitimate miners who are registered, trusted and are highly skilled,” he said.
He stressed the need for relevant stakeholders to engage in sensitisation programme on mining activities, adding that it would help miners to understand importance and benefit of obtaining mineral titles.
Osaze said that mining activities had damaged the environment as well as land degradation in various communities across the country.
According to him, “Illegal mining activities have caused a lot of damages in our environment, not only our lands but also health hazards, especially to people living close to the mining sites.
“Some of the health implications include acute headache, nasal and respiratory discomfort, dry cough, burning eyes and blurred vision as a result of open-pit mining.
“Some of the miners degraded the environment not because they know the implication, sometimes they don’t know the dangers associated with their activities.
“We have seen the effect of climate change largely caused by mining activities, either knowingly or unknowing, so it is important to embark on strong sensitisation with those communities living around the mining sites.
“The essence of the sensitisation is to enlighten the communities of the negative and positive impact of mining in our environment and the health implications,” he said.
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