The Ogun State House of Assembly has passed a resolution calling on all Federal and State regulatory agencies to enforce safety precautions in the storage and handling of explosives, especially the indiscriminate use of dynamites by miners in the various quarry sites across the State.
This is coming on the heels of recent massive blast in Old Bodija area of Ibadan in January 2023 which claimed the lives at least five residents, injured 77 and damage no fewer than 49 buildings worth billions of Naira. About 10 people were still deemed missing or buried in the rubbles of fallen structures.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State attributed the cause of the explosion to IEDs stored in the area by illegal foreign miners – who were said to be be largely Malian nationals.
There are an estimated over dozen companies engaged in quarrying activities in Ogun State, especially in Ogun Central and Ogun East Senatorial Districts of the state with many of them believably using dynamites and other IEDs to carry out their quarrying/mining activities.
However, in a bid to avert the Old Bodija fate anywhere in Ogun State, the state lawmakers passed a resolution asking the law enforcement and other regulatory agencies to tighten security against the indiscriminate use and handling of IEDs in the state.
The resolution to that effect was sponsored by the minority leader of the Assembly, Hon. Lukman Adeleye according to him, was necessitated by the need to put in place measures towards protecting Ogun residents from the activities of mining operators, especially illegal miners.
The Sponsor, who is representing Odogbolu State Constituency submitted that with an assessment of the occurrence that claimed lives and properties in the neighbouring Oyo State, it had become imperative to address the potential dangers posed by numerous mining sites across the State controlled mostly by unregistered foreigners who often disregard environmental safety laws.
Adeleye, added that the State Ministries of Environment, as well as Industry, Trade, and Investment, must be mandated to actively enforce and ensure strict compliance with safety regulations within the mining sector, noting that such proactive approach was crucial in preventing disasters and protecting the lives and property of residents and public infrastructure.
The passage of the resolution followed a motion moved by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sheriff, seconded by Hon. Bisi Oyedele and supported by other lawmakers after an extensive deliberation on the priority for the safety of the people and preservation of the environment at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Other lawmakers including Bisi Oyedele, Yusuf Amosun, BabatundeTella, Waliu Owode and Adegoke Adeyanju who corroborated the Sponsor’s submissions cited examples of various environmental infractions poised by the activities of the illegal miners.
Acknowledging that the mining sector was under the exclusive list, the lawmakers clarified that the State needed to put in place necessary measures to monitor and safeguard the people of the State.
They urged residents of the State to report any unsafe mining practices or storage of dynamites in their vicinity to the relevant government agencies.
The lawmakers noted that the motion was a preventive measure and as part of their legislative interventions to further put concerned government agencies on their toes towards ensuring protection of lives and ensure environmental safety.
Speaker Elemide implored all necessary MDAs connected with upholding safety measures to strengthen their operations with a view to preventing anything that could compromise the existing safety, peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the State while preserving the ecosystem.
