By Fatima Saka
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Musa, Mohammed Sani, representing Niger East Senatorial District has moved a motion for urgent needs to address the tragedy of the rockslide that tragically engulfed more than 30 Informal Miners in a Gold Mining Site in Farin Doki Community, Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State.
During the presentation of the motion on Thursday at Plenary session in Abuja by the sponsored, Senator Sani Musa read:
“Acknowledges that on Monday, 3rd June, 2024, a catastrophic rockslide occurred at the open-pit gold mine, resulting in the entrapment of at least over 30 local/informal miners in the Farin Doki Community, near Erena in Shiroro Local Government Area, situated within the Niger East Senatorial District of Niger State.
“These miners, in their pursuit of gold and lithium minerals, met their unfortunate demise as tons of debris collapsed, burying them underneath.
“Further acknowledges that this regrettable and heartbreaking incident emphasizes the pressing need for comprehensive and all-encompassing measures to be taken to effectively tackle the hazards faced and posed by local mining activities occurring nationwide.”
Additionally, the Senator representing Niger East senatorial district acknowledged that given the abundance of mineral resources in the region, it is crucial to secure the mining site to prevent future incidents and avert further loss of life. This will significantly contribute to ensuring that mining operations are carried out in a safe and legal manner to prevent future tragedies and enhance the overall welfare of miners nationwide;
He further expresses concern that the bodies of the deceased, who are victims of this tragic event, are yet to be retrieved for proper and dignified burial by their respective families.
He said concerted efforts should be made by relevant government agencies to recover the bodies of the deceased for burial; and recognize that at a time when Nigeria is striving to diversify its economy, the mining sector is sufficiently lucrative and should be fully harnessed for the socio-economic advancement of the country.
The senator emphasizied that the relevant authorities should promptly and urgently launch a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident to identify any existing deficiencies in safety regulations and enforcement in the sector.
He called for an efforts to restore order to the system, stringent regulations should be implemented to safeguard the lives of those reliant on this industry for their livelihood. It is also pertinent for the relevant Committees of the National Assembly to intensify the oversight of mining activities occurring nationwide to leverage the benefits inherent in the mining sector.
Therefore after the debating, the Senate resolved: by observing a moment of silence in memory of the victims.
Further commended the Minister of Solid Minerals for his prompt and proactive response in monitoring the situation at the mining site.
The Senate urged the Federal Government to establish stringent safety measures and regulations for mining activities in Nigeria in accordance with International Best Practices and deploy adequate security measures to mining communities to maintain vigilance around mining areas and prevent further encroachments and intrusions by informal miners;
Also urged the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant government agencies to expedite efforts in recovering the remains of the deceased in the disaster to provide closure to the grieving families.
However, instructed the Committee on Solid Minerals to conduct an on-site assessment of the Site to determine the root and immediate cause of the rockslide and expedite the passage of the Mine Ranger Bill currently under consideration by the Senate.
