By A. M. Nasiru.
The member representing Ankpa federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Rep. Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims has moved a motion on the urgent need to ensure strict compliance with Community Development Agreements (CDA) by mining title holders in the area.
While moving the motion on the floor of the House, Halims noted that section 116 of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 made provisions for community development agreements to be signed by the mining companies granted operation license with the objectives of such agreements clearly stated in section 117 of the Act.
The federal lawmaker, who is also Chairman of the House Committee on Steel Development, regretted that the companies operating in Ankpa Federal Constituency have not lived up to such agreements. Thereby depriving host communities of maximum benefits of their God given mineral deposits.
“Furthermore, the attendant health hazards and implications of coal mining to host communities, which includes but not limited to air pollution, water pollution, social dislocation etc. arising from the activities of the mining companies informed his call on the parliament’s early interventions to address these seeming anomalies,” he said.
He relied on being “aware that; Mining of coal takes place by companies such as Dangote, Eta Zuma 828 in different locations i.e Awo, Onupi, Olokwu and Okobo communities in Ankpa Federal Constituency guided by the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 to pray that the House refers this matter to the House Committee on Solid Minerals for proper oversight to ensure that companies involved in the Mining activities comply with community development agreements”.
The motion also called on the Federal Ministry of Environment to ensure that the mining companies live up to their environmental obligations as enshrined in section 118 of the Nigeria Minerals and Mining Act, 2007 and that the House Committee on Legislative Compliance ensures compliance by the relevant authorities.
In a related development, Rep Halims, at the resumed plenary sitting on Wednesday, presented “the Federal University Teaching Hospital Lokoja (Establishment) Bill, 2021(HB.1591)” and the bill passed through first reading on the same day.
