Ogbadibo LG council suspends all mining activities, give reasons

Ogbadibo Local Government Council has directed the suspension of all coal mining activities within the circumference of the Local Government until all legal and due processes for such operations are complied with.

The Council took the decision on Tuesday after members of the Local Government Caretaker Committee visited the affected areas of operations at Owukpa and Odoba Otukpa to see things for themselves.

In separate letters to the Operations Managers of Dangote Coal Mining Industry, Odoba Otukpa, and Owukpa Consolidated Mining Limited signed by Secretary, Mr Monday Idoko for the Chairman, Onuh Prince, the Council directed them to stop further activities on the affected sites till they complied with all due and legal processes.

In the letter to Owukpa Consolidated Mining Limited, the Council lamented that all efforts made towards a round table discussion with the company on its activities were ignored, saying the company’s failure to formalise its activities has made it impossible for the Council to ascertain the level of environmental impact on the host community following a petition to that effect from the community.

The Council said as representative of the people, it cannot close its eyes while such activities go on within the Local Government to the detriment of the people.

In the letter to Dangote Coal Mining Industry, the Council expressed surprise that when it asked the company about its activities in Odoba, it denied any engagement in mining activities there but agreed that it was constructing an access road in the area.

The Council directed that since the company has failed to discuss with the Council on the scope of its mining activities at Odoba and its plans to handle the environmental impact of such activities on the host community, it should stop the access road project and all other mining operations in the area.

In the letters which are copied to the Commissioner of Police and Director DSS, Benue State as well as Area Commander Ogbadibo-Okpokwu, DPO.