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Enugu Govt launches new mining regulations

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Sand mining
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The Enugu State Government has introduced new mining regulations aimed at ensuring fair revenue distribution for host communities and enhancing safety standards throughout the state.

These reforms, which seek to formalize mining operations, are designed to strengthen accountability in the sector while ensuring that local communities benefit directly from mineral resource extraction.

The announcement was made in a statement issued on Monday by Dan Nwomeh, the Senior Special Adviser on Media to Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah.

The statement also highlighted that the reforms are being led by the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Solid Minerals and Mining.

NEW: Enugu gov’t sets new rules for mining and burrow pits

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The statement in full:

ENUGU STATE BEGIN:S FORMALIZATION OF SAND MINING SECTOR TO ENHANCE SAFETY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND REVENUE GENERATION

In line with the cardinal policies of Enugu State Governor Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah emphasizing traceability, transparency, and accountability, and in response to the alarming state of operations in the mining sector, the Enugu State Government, through the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Solid Minerals and Mining, has initiated a comprehensive formalization of mining activities across the state. This strategic initiative is aimed at safeguarding lives, enforcing regulatory compliance, and ensuring fair revenue distribution for host communities and the state at large.
Over the past few years, the state has tragically lost over twenty lives in mining pits, largely due to poor safety practices, lack of accountability, and the unregulated nature of the sector. Investigations into these fatalities have been largely absent, leaving affected families and communities without closure or justice.

Addressing These Gaps: A Unified Regulatory Approach

The current unstructured operations in sand mining have created an environment where rules are ignored, safety measures are non-existent, and revenues due to both the government and local communities go unpaid. To remedy this, the state government is launching a formalization initiative that includes the following:

1. Mandatory Registration and Unionization for Enhanced Oversight and Accountability:
All operators in sand, laterite, and mudstone mines, pit owners, mine union workers, evacuation units (tipper operators), excavator and artisan operators and the Miners Association of Nigeria, Enugu State Chapter, are now required to register with the Ministry of Solid Mineral Resources. Each pit must maintain and submit a comprehensive list of its workers to the Ministry to ensure proper oversight and accountability.

2. Establishment of Unified Burrow pit Owners Union:
To strengthen collective accountability, a standardized and recognized Union of Burrow Pit Owners has been established. This union will serve as a centralized body for coordinating and maintaining records of all registered pits and their personnel. The Ministry emphasizes that all forms of careless and irresponsible mining practices will no longer be tolerated.

3. Mandatory Ministerial Oversight on Price Adjustments in the Mining Sector:
Any review or adjustment of prices by units operating within the mining sector must be conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Solid Mineral Resources. This measure is instituted to maintain transparency and fairness, prevent arbitrary pricing, and ensure alignment with established regulatory and economic standards.

4. Enforcement of Safety Standards:

Every pit must adhere to safety measures developed by certified safety experts. Regular inspections and safety reports will be required to assess the structural integrity of pits. Operations in collapsing or hazardous pits will be suspended to prevent further loss of life.

5. Payment of Royalties and Levies:

Operators will be required to pay appropriate royalties and levies. These include community development levies to ensure that host communities benefit from the resources extracted from their land—an issue that has long been a source of tension and conflict.

6. Establishment of Community Mining Committees and Implementation of Transparency Measures:

All mining communities are required to establish a Community Mining Committee within seven (7) days from the date of this notice. Once formed, the list of committee members must be submitted to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Solid Mineral and Mining for official inauguration.

Following this period, all ground levies due to communities will no longer be paid into private accounts but will instead be directed to designated community project accounts. This decision stems from persistent complaints regarding the diversion of community funds by individuals and is intended to promote greater transparency, accountability, and equitable development.

The Community Mining Committee will be responsible for ensuring that all ground rents and payments made to the community in relation to mining activities are properly accounted for and communicated to the General Assembly of the community. The committee will be held fully accountable for any mismanagement or misappropriation of these funds.

7. Enforcement of Sealed Pits Under Safety and Environmental Regulations:

All mining pits that have been sealed by the Ministry in collaboration with the Mining Marshal for safety and regulatory violations must remain sealed. These pits are not to be reopened until the safety concerns have been adequately addressed. All units are hereby advised to take note and ensure full compliance.

A Call for Cooperation

This formalization process is not punitive but corrective. It is designed to bring order, save lives, and create a more sustainable environment for all stakeholders. We call on all sand mining operators, community leaders, and stakeholders to cooperate fully with this process. The goal is a safer, more transparent, and equitable mining sector in Enugu State.
The lives of our people cannot be traded for profit, and as a government, we will no longer allow unregulated operations to put our citizens at risk. This reform marks a new chapter in solid mineral resource management, and we invite everyone to play their part in building a safer and more responsible industry.

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BREAKING: Veteran actor, Olu Jacobs is dead

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Olu Jacobs
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Popular Nollywood actor, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, known as Olu Jacobs, has passed on.

The veteran Nigerian actor and film executive died at the age of 84.

His demise was confirmed Tuesday morning by his son, Olusoji Jacobs.

In an announcement he made on Instagram on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Olusoji urged the public to respect their privacy.

He also expressed gratitude to God for the late actor’s life.

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“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo.

“We call on all bloggers and social media influencers to respect our families privacy at this time,” he said, according to TVC.

In the past, there have been rumours of his death which turned out to the untrue.

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Police raise alarm over planned attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC camps

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IGP Olatunji Disu
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The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.

The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.

Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.

The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

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The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.

The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.

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Atiku tackles Tinubu over N1,400 fuel price, demands probe of FAAC allocations

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‘Who is in charge of Nigeria presently?’, Atiku queries Tinubu, Shettima’s absence
Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has faulted the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the current pump price of petrol, noting that Nigerians are now paying as much as ₦1,470 per litre even though crude oil, at $102.52 per barrel, sells for far less than the $147 per barrel it fetched in 2008 when petrol sold for ₦65 per litre under the late President Umar Musa Yar’Adua.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over what he described as an organised system of grand larceny against the Nigerian people, built around opaque Federation Account FAAC deductions, questionable management of oil revenues, parallel funding arrangements and allegations of off-book transactions.

“With crude oil around $102.52 per barrel, Nigerians are paying as much as ₦1,470 per litre. In 2008, when crude oil reached about $147 per barrel, petrol sold at ₦65 per litre under the Yar’Adua administration. The difference is that government then understood that economic policy must ultimately protect the welfare of citizens,” he said.

The Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC said it is unconscionable for a government that has extracted unprecedented sacrifice from citizens in the name of subsidy removal to keep raising the cost of survival while refusing to provide a clear, verifiable account of the revenues, savings and deductions accumulated under its watch.

He recalled that Nigerians were told subsidy removal would free resources for education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services, yet nearly three and a half years later, fundamental questions remain unanswered about where the money has gone.

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“Petrol at ₦1,470 per litre is not merely a figure at the filling station. It enters the price of transportation, food, school runs, farming, manufacturing and virtually everything Nigerians buy. Every increase at the pump travels directly into the household budget.

“After all the pain imposed on Nigerians, they have a right to ask: where are the subsidy savings and where is the money?”, he queried.

Atiku said official FAAC records themselves justify greater scrutiny, pointing out that in June 2025, gross Federation Account revenue was reported at ₦4.232 trillion while only ₦1.818 trillion was eventually distributed, with substantial sums categorised as cost of collection, transfers, interventions, refunds and savings.

He demanded a comprehensive reconciliation of Federation Account revenues from 2023 to date, showing gross collections, every deduction made before distribution, the statutory authority for each deduction, the receiving accounts and the ultimate beneficiaries.

“Nigerians deserve accounts they can interrogate, not accounting labels designed to discourage questions,” he said.

The former Vice President also called for full disclosure around the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, OML 143, oil-production revenues, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company NNPC’s international Liquefied Natural Gas LNG trading operations, offshore corporate structures and allegations involving unofficial crude lifting, maritime surveillance contracts and other possible off-book revenue flows.

“These allegations are too serious to be answered with press statements and political insults. Every barrel can be measured, every cargo identified and every legitimate payment traced. If everything is in order, publish the records and allow independent forensic auditors to reconcile them. If the allegations are false, the records will clear the government,” he said.

Atiku equally rejected attempts to use the current international crisis as a blanket excuse for rising domestic fuel prices, drawing attention to the widening gap between what Nigerians earn and what they now pay at the pump compared to other climes.

“At about $4.31 per gallon, U.S. petrol is roughly $1.14 per litre. Yet while the U.S. federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, Nigeria’s minimum wage is only ₦70,000 per month.

“Tinubu has brought Nigerians close to American fuel prices while leaving them with Nigerian poverty wages. That is the true cost of his subsidy-removal policy”, he said.

He insisted that the administration can no longer demand endless sacrifice from citizens while treating public accountability as optional.

“After all the oil, all the revenue, all the deductions and all the hardship, petrol is now ₦1,470 per litre. The question Tinubu must answer is simple: where are the savings, where are the revenues, and who is taking Nigeria’s money?”

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