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The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, has charged mining companies to protect the environment and ensure human safety in the communities where they operate. During a tour of the Royal Salt Lead and Zinc Processing Company at Enyigba community in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, on Tuesday, Fayemi enjoined mining operators to avoid contamination of water and environmental degradation. 

Fayemi, who was in the company of the Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bawa Bwari, and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, said although mining operations can be a win-win proposition, the Federal Government would not condone the situation whereby the operators do not give due consideration to environment safety or sensitivity to the host communities.

The minister commended the company for submitting an environmental protection plan to the ministry, stating how it plans to reclaim and protect the environment. Fayemi said the ministry would monitor the process to ensure it is implemented accordingly.

The Royal Salt Lead and Zinc Processing Company has set up a processing plant to process lead zinc, instead of exporting it in the raw form.

“One of the primary interest in the ministry’s roadmap is to increase the level of beneficiation and processing to ensure raw minerals are processed locally rather than exporting them," Fayemi said. "This will create jobs for the youth, which the company had taken step to employ over 400 Nigerians in the state.”

The minister and his deputy, who are on a nationwide tour of mine sites to build stakeholders confidence and promote investment, also charged the company to serve its host community by providing employment for Nigerians, adding that training programmes should be set up for workers to acquire the necessary skills to carry out job functions that have been traditionally given to expatriates. In this regard, the company was commended for employing a large number of Nigerians.

Governor Umahi lamented the fact that the company, which acquired 500 hectares of farm land for mining operations, has destroyed the state’s vegetation and ecosystem. The governor said the state had yet to earn any revenue from the company. He also charged the Commissioner for the Environment to take water from the boreholes dug by the company to a laboratory to ascertain the water is free of lead contamination.

Vassu Gowda, the Project Manager of the company, assured the minister and the state government that his company would comply with the demands.