The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah, has urged the management of Dangote Coal Mines Limited to keep to the community agreement entered with mining communities in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
Ogah spoke during a working visit to verify allegations of pollution of waters caused by mining activities in the area.
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Dangote Coal Mines Limited has two mine sites in Okpokwu LGA where locals alleged that they were not being carried along by the miners even as they also alleged pollution of water bodies.
The minister assured that no miner would be allowed to cheat any community and urged the locals to avoid the temptation to shut mining activities.
“We will make sure that you get the attention of every investor so that at the end of the day your lives will be better,” the minister said.
He added that the result of the investigation would determine if the pollution was caused by mining and if there would be need to treat the water or provide alternative sources.
Earlier, the President General of Akpali Development Association, Sunday Agbede and that of Edumoga Youth Forum, Ejembi Andrew, said they wanted water, jobs, electricity and roads as benefits from the exploration.
The General Manager, Community Relations Dangote Coal Mines Industries, Nuhu Elujah, said six projects had been identified for the host communities and were spread across the years of the Community Development Agreement (CDA).
Elijah added that the projects include; clinic, water, electricity, six classroom blocks, road and scholarship, stressing that the company had already spent N1million on scholarships as he assured that it would not relent in ensuring that they keep to the terms of the agreement.
