IJESAS RAISE ALARM OVER INFLUX OF ILLEGAL MINERS IN IJESALAND

The societies noted that, the worst aspect is that there was no documentation or profiling of the people to the mining communities in the land, pointing out that, it will be a disaster to happen in the nearest future if authorities fail to act now by carrying out proper profiling of both legal and illegal miners and their foreign workforce as some of these miners engage in acts capable of causing havoc to the inhabitants of the communities where they operate..

‘It needs to be stated that the mining activities have led to destruction of farmland, creation of food insecurity and economic loss of economic trees within our various villages. A look at the mining communities has resulted in creation of slums and destitutions of the local or indigenous people’.

‘The local people or their youth are less preferred by the miners and their agents in job opportunities, leaving them mostly unemployed and frustrated. The advantages of being mining communities have been turned to despair’, the groups stated.

‘No infrastructural development in the local communities and the unwholesome activities of these miners have led to the degrading of their environment and worsening standard of living. Insecurity has equally worsened with cases of stealing, assault, attack, violence and other negative activities on the increase’.

The societies recalled that it was recently a traditional ruler and staffers of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke were kidnapped, adding that there are other reported cases of high profile kidnapping in which ransom were paid before the victims were released.

‘The unwholesome acts are alien to us in our kingdom and must be condemned by all well-meaning people of the land. It is an abominable act that must not be allowed to occur again nor flourish in future’, the societies added.