The Nigerian Mining Geosciences Society has expressed worry over the activities of illegal miners, saying the country is losing billions of revenue.
It said adequate funding of mines offices across the country by the federal government will ensure proper monitoring of sharp practices and help mitigate illegal mining.
The President, Nigerian Mining Geosciences Society, Prof. Akinade Olatunji, said this in a press conference to mark the 255th Council Meeting of the society in Uyo on Friday.
Olatunji said that there was the need for government to adequately fund the mines offices with qualified staff and logistics to check the menace of illegal mining.
He said that activities of illegal mining in the country have affected the economy and caused environmental degradation of the nation, stressing that it should not be allowed to continue.
He called on proper funding and equipping the federal mines offices across the federation with logistics vehicles to reach all remote areas where mining activities are being carried out.
“Illegal mining does not take place in the city centres but in the remote areas with very little or no motorable roads and for you to monitor, you need personnel, who are qualified, motivated, energised and well-regulated.
“Federal mines offices are supposed to be equipped with vehicles and personnel. They are supposed to have sufficient running cost to do the job, but reverse is the case.
“Most of the mines offices are poorly staffed, in fact, this is one the biggest problems we have been shouting, they are poorly staffed.
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“For a government to be talking seriously of curbing illegal mining, they need to increase the staff strength of the mining inspectorate units.
“One of the things we are pushing is that the staff in that unit should be treated like those in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on a separate salary scale.
“So that when people are properly remunerated, they will surely do the work well.
“Government must stop playing leap service on stopping illegal mining activities in the country but should fund the mining offices properly.
“As a society, we frown at illegal mining because it has denied the nation revenue, denied our people jobs and also devastated the environment.
“If illegal mining is not curtailed, we will continue to see vast wasteland not useful for any other thing,” Olatunji said.
Olatunji allayed the fears that borehole drilling was the cause of earthquake, stressing that borehole drilling does not have any relationship with earthquake.
He, however, warned that indiscriminate drilling of boreholes has environmental consequences.
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