*Photo L-R: Secretary to the Edo State Government, Osarodion Ogie Esq.; Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, and Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Joshua Omokhodion, during an inspection tour of the borrow pit site at Obagie N’ Evbosa, on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.*
The Edo StateGovernment has threatened tough sanctions for Federal Government mining officers in the State involved in issuing illegal authorization for the operations of borrow pits in the Obagie N’ Evbosa axis, in Ikpoba-Okha LocalGovernment Area of the State.
The warning was issued by the State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, during an inspection tour of the borrow pit site at Obagie ‘N Evbosa, with other members of the State Executive Council.
The governor,who was taken aback by the extent of illegal activities going on in the site, said the city is under environmental threat and his administration willdo everything possible to stop all those illegally mining sands in Edo State.
He described asillegal and illicit, the activities of the borrow bit operators, assuring that his administration will do everything possible to put a stop to the acts,noting: “This people don’t care about law and order. They don’t have respectfor the government. We issued a statement warning people operating the borrowedpits to desist until we agreed on the areas that can be borrowed.
“From what we have seen today, it is like these operators have no respect and they are challenging the government. Government will show its full might and force. This is threatening the environment. If we continue this way and at this rate, we willlose areas and communities. The National Transmission Company issued a warningthat even transmission lines are being threatened because people are borrowingand taking sands around areas that are hosting national infrastructure.
“You can see what is going on here. This is illegal and illicit. As a government, we will doeverything possible to put a stop to it. We are issuing this and sending thisas a warning to the Federal mining officers in the State who permit this andgive approval and authorization that we would arrest and deal with them in Edo State.
Obaseki further stated, “This is not a banana republic and wecan’t just come out here to destroy our environment this way. In the next fewyears, people in these communities will begin to experience landslides and mudslides because of the way these mining activities are being carried out.
“This is not right. We can’t continue to do this to ourselves. Our City is under threat and thisgovernment will do all to stop all those illegally mining sands here.”
