Nasarawa govt suspends mining activities in Kokona over community dispute

The Nasarawa State Government has ordered a temporary shutdown of all mining activities in Kokona Local Government Area, announcing a one-week suspension to ease rising tensions between Timadics Mining Company and its host community.

The directive was announced on Tuesday in Lafia by the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Princess Margaret Itake Elayo, during a stakeholders’ meeting with officials of Timadics Mining Company and representatives of the Agwada host community.

According to the commissioner, the government stepped in following complaints from residents of the Agwada mining community, especially members of the Egboka and Agbadu families, who alleged that the company began exploration activities without following due process or meeting agreed obligations to the community.

In response to the growing dispute, Governor Abdullahi Sule had earlier directed a fact-finding mission, which culminated in the mediation meeting convened by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.

At the meeting, the Chief Executive Officer of Timadics Mining Company, Mr. Kenneth Dongtoe, dismissed allegations of illegal operations, insisting that the company had obtained the required approvals for exploration and had executed several corporate social responsibility projects, including the construction of schools and other community facilities.

Dongote, however, acknowledged that the company was still awaiting the final issuance of its mining licence from the Mining Cadastral Office.

The situation was further complicated by a separate dispute involving another Chinese firm, Black Gem New Energy, which is reportedly in court with Timadics over alleged encroachment on mining sites.

While the host community confirmed entering into a consent agreement with Black Gem, they raised concerns over the company’s acquisition of a CR4 on land they said was designated strictly for mining purposes.

After listening to submissions from all parties, Princess Elayo, alongside the Executive Chairman of Kokona Local Government Area, stressed that no mining operation would be allowed to proceed without a properly executed memorandum of understanding with the host community.

She directed all companies involved to submit relevant documents to the ministry for verification and announced the suspension of mining activities for one week to enable a thorough review and guide the government’s next line of action.

Join Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!