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Tag: Mr Charles Udoh

  • Illegal mining threatening security of lives, infrastructures in A’Ibom – Udoh

    Illegal mining threatening security of lives, infrastructures in A’Ibom – Udoh

    By Samuel Ogenyi/Awajionyi Gaius

    Commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals in Akwa Ibom, Mr Charles Udoh has said that illegal mining is constituted a threat to security of lives and critical infrastructure of the state.

    Fielding questions from newsmen in Uyo yesterday, Udoh pointed out that the state government has decided to clamp down on miners and dredgers whose activities has continued to damage the environment and threatened infrastructures in the state.

    The commissioner therefore warned that his administration would not sit and watch people destroy infrastructure through their illegal activities.

    He lamented that those projects were built with tax payers by the state government and therefore would not allow miscreants destroy them.

    “We spend a huge some of money with zero Naira from federal government in building critical infrastructures, like the bridges we have in the state and then people would want to come and collapse these infrastructures with their illegal business, I will not sit back.” Udoh said.

    He advised miners in the state to endeavor to obtain their license from the Federal Government and register with his ministry for the smooth operation of their business.

    “If you want to dredge in Akwa Ibom,go and get license from ministry of mining and steel, you want to enter water ways, go to Nigerian Inland Waterways, get you tax payer document, get permission from the community where you want to mine.

    “Then when you finish come to me with your Memorandum of Understanding, we will both go and see the location you want to dredge or mine and I will approve it for you.” The commissioner said.

    He maintained that the state is rich with natural resources which should be used in improving the economy rather than use it to destroy the economic well being of the people.

    “For instance, Nsit Ibom is very rich with gravels, silica and fine sand and there have been a lot of illegal mining going on there.

    “We are going to bring sanity into that place, though people can still mine but it will be controlled as they will have to go through due process.” He further said.

  • A’Ibom reiterates commitment to safe environmental practices

    A’Ibom reiterates commitment to safe environmental practices

    Akwa Ibom government has reiterated its commitment towards promoting healthy and safe environment for residents and investors in the state.

    Commissioner of Environment Mr Charles Udoh stated this in an address at the first- ever workshop on environmental health standards organised by the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the Nigerian Environmental Society, yesterday in Uyo.

    Udoh said the rationale behind the workshop was to educate food and hospitality operators on the new environmental health standards needed to effectively run their businesses to ensure safety of citizens

    “The present administration led by His Excellency, Deacon Udom Emmanuel placed priority attention on the safety of our environment and promotes healthy living among citizens .

    “As we all know, our environment begins with us, the people, so we reasoned that one of the ways of keeping us safe is to educate us on the set out environmental health standard needed to run our business effectively without having to endanger one’s health.” He said.

    The commmissioner who expressed satisfaction at the turnout expressed his conviction, that now is the time to revive the environmental health programme of government which has gone extinct for decades.

    He used the occasion to restate government commitment to ending illegal dredging in the state and revealed that the initial plan of government was not to prosecute offenders, but to show them reasons why they should desist from their illegal activities.

    According to Udoh such practice has continued to pose great threat to the environment, destroying critical infrastructures in the state adding that the plan changed when government encountered resistance and threats from offenders.

    The Commissioner advised food and hospitality operators in the state to adhere to the environmental health standards as strict enforcement of environmental health guidelines would commence soon across the state.

    Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Environmental Society, Prof. Comfort Etok, who gave a paper presentation on the basic food safety rules, said that on a yearly basis about one million two hundred thousand people die from food exposed to chemicals exposed to food.

    To minimize or eradicate this menace, food and hospitality operators Etok insisted must follow food safety rules.

    Chairman of the State Hotels Management and Tourism Board, Mr. Ini Akpabio opined that considering the danger posed to human health through unsafe food consumption, it was expedite for government and other critical agencies to meet with the food and hospitality operators towards chatting a new paradigm.

  • A’Ibom moves to sanitize activities of miners, Dredgers

    A’Ibom moves to sanitize activities of miners, Dredgers

    Akwa Ibom State government has issued a guideline in a deliberate move to sanitize activities of miners and illegal sand dredgers in the state.

    A statement from the state commissioner for environment Mr Charles Udoh made available to newsmen in Uyo yesterday said this has become necessary as activities of illegal sand dredgers and gravel miners have continued to pose severe environmental and security threat to residents.

    The statement expressed worry that critical state infrastructure and assets are threatened while several communities have lost their sources of natural drinking water with farm lands devastated due to indiscriminate mining and dredging in many parts of the state.

    “It is even more worrisome that suspicious characters from all parts of the country are beginning to find dwelling places in our state under the guise of sand dredging or gravel mining.” It said.

    In view of the urgent need to alleviate these concerns, the statement said, the state government has generated a data base of practitioners in the area to ensure that all mining activities in state are carried out in accordance with the extant laws.

    It has also approved a checklist for all current and prospective artisanal miners including formal expression of interest to the state Ministry of Environment (MoE), site verification/Inspection and evidence of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with host communities.

    Others include evidence of operational permit/license by Federal Ministry of Mines & Steel (MoM&S) and National Inland WaterWay Authority (NIWA), where applicable, acceptable Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and evidence of business registration with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

    It also requested prospective miners to produce evidence of up-to-date tax clearance from Akwa Ibom State Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) and environmental Permit issued by the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Environment (MoE). This is renewable annually while approved locations will be mapped.

    “It is important to note that all prospective miners and current operators must be certified to have completed this process before commencement of operation. Furthermore, all operators must subject their sites to a mandatory quarterly environmental monitoring as well as an annual environmental audit.

    “This checklist was developed after due consultation with other relevant regulatory bodies. Implementation takes immediate effect. We count on the cooperation of all current and prospective artisanal miners, community leaders and related agencies in ensuring the safety of our environment.” It concluded.