*Photo: Ebonyi State Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Hon. Chidi Onyia*
The Ebonyi State Government, on Wednesday, sealed four mining companies for non-compliance with the terms of the Community Development Agreement in the state.
The CDA is designed to ensure that mining companies contribute to the development of the communities in which they operate.
The Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Natural Resources, Hon. Chidi Onyia, led a joint task force to seal the companies. He explained that the miners had been given ample time to comply with the agreement but failed to do so.
“The companies were given sufficient time, since July last year, to meet the CDA requirements but chose to ignore the rules,” he said.
The affected companies are Anli Mining and Investment Ltd; China Solid Rock 1 and 2, located in Ngodo Amachi in the Afikpo Local Government Area; and Shenglong Mining, located in Eziulo in the Ishielu Local Government Area.
According to the commissioner, the sites will remain closed until the companies comply with the state government’s directives.
He stated, “The people of Ebonyi are being treated as if they have no value. The Mining Act clearly stipulates that every miner must prepare a CDA to benefit and uplift the community in which they operate. However, most mining companies in Ebonyi State have disregarded this. This is against the state’s directives, and we will no longer tolerate it.”
“The land belongs to the people. Even though these companies have leased land from the Federal Government, they must ensure that the communities benefit from their operations.”
Onyia criticised one of the site operators, labelling its CDA as fraudulent.
“The agreement presented by Shenglong is fraudulent. There are clear procedures and templates for developing a CDA. How can a company of this size justify the community’s sole benefit as being one million naira annually?
“We have companies here in Ebonyi constructing tarred roads for their host communities. Why is Shenglong different?” he queried.
He assured that the state government would continue to monitor mining activities to ensure that all companies follow the law, warning that any company found breaking the rules would be shut down.
