GOLD MINING IN BENUE: BNSG SUSPENDS MINING ACTIVITIES OVER LOST OF REVENUE
BIRS Chairman Chief Mrs Mimi Adzape- Orubibi during a tour of the mining site at Ugugu and Agunogo in Ikyurav-Ya, Kwande Local Government Area.
By Suswam Jacob Terhemba
16th April, 2022
The Benue State Government has suspended gold mining activities and exploration of other mineral resources in Kwande local government, by Universal Treasure Mines Ltd and others over failure to regularize their mining licences with the state government which when properly done, would earn the state the statutory 13% derivation mineral revenue constitutionally guaranteed by the 1999 constitution as amended.
The Executive Chairman of the Benue State Internal Revenue Service, (BIRS), Chief (Mrs.) Mimi Adzape-Orubibi gave the suspension order during an on the spot assessment and inspection visit to some mining sites at Ugugu and Agunogo in Ikyurav-Ya, Kwande local government area.
According to Mrs. Orubibi ” The Benue state government is constitutionally guaranteed a 13% revenue earnings from all mining businesses going on in the state and other taxes, especially from those legally licensed by the federal government, hence the need for the companies to properly document and regularize their mining license with the state government”
Mining sites at Ugugu and Agunogo in Ikyurav-Ya, Kwande local government area.
She further add that until this is done the state can not rightfully earn the 13% derivation for mineral revenue acruable to the state government who owns the land from where the mineral resources is being explored from.
The chairman also expressed concerns on the environmental impact of the mining activities on host communities, as there is no certification of environmental impact assessment carried out to guide the operation of the mines and its evacuation processes and the reclamation of the sites after exploration.
The Revenue Boss stressed that besides the need to earn 13% revenue from the mining activities, the state government owes her citizens the responsibility of supervising the operations and activities of the miners to guard against negative impact of the environment, hence the need to get technical experts in the state involved so as to regulate the miners activities and safeguard the environment.
At one of the mining sites visited, operated by Universal Treasures Mines Ltd, the representative of the company, Engr. Emmanuel Awakere said the company was licensed by the federal government to mine gold in the community, but admitted that the company was yet to regularize its documentation with the state government. He promised to comply with the directive of the Chairman and do the necessary documentation.
A member of the community who gave his name as Ayatse Fidelis Atema, said the company with other individuals who usually come from outside the state have been carrying out the mining activities in the community and other surrounding communities for the past three years with no one to stop them. He added that the company promised to construct blocks of classroom for the school in the community, drill a borehole for them and also construct a council hall for the traditionalrulers. All this promises he said the company was yet to fulfill any.
The miners at the other sites visited all ran away on sighting the Chairman.
The chairman vowed to visit mining sites located in other local government areas where exploration is being done, to enable the service gather accurate data that will assist the state government regulate miners activities and block all revenue leakages as a result of the ongoing illegal mining activities.
