By Aluta News
The Federation of Nigeria Mining Host Communities is working to strengthen the capacity of groups in mining areas on how to hold companies to their responsibilities in host communities.
The Federation with support from Global Rights is hosting a National Convention with the theme: “Strengthening Social Safeguards, Environmental and Socio-economic Sustainability of Mining Host Communities in Nigeria”.
The aim of the event which featured critical conversations, served the dual purpose of capacity building for members of the Federation and the inauguration of the Steering Committee for the Federation.
Dr Dauda Garuba, was the Keynote Speaker and the Federation’s Resource person.
In his address titled, “Making Nigeria’s Mineral Resources Work for Nigerians: A Constitutional Imperative’’, said it was time to change the narrative in the sector to work for the good of the people.
According to Garuba, the theme of the conference is apt and aimed at finding appropriate ways to address the challenges in the sector to make Nigeria maximise mining.
“This is because over time, we have been so obsessed with oil and gas in spite that we started from mining back. We have quite a lot of resources that come from oil and gas, but unfortunately, we have not been doing well as a country.
“This is in terms of how we will manage resources in oil and gas sector.
“We have seen a new law, we have seen regulations, we have seen a lot of roadmap on how to transit, but not much has happened in terms of making Nigeria a destination for mining business.’’
Garuba said the 2023 general elections had presented an opportunity for citizens to discuss issues by focusing conversations on politicians on what their programmes to address challenges in various sectors were.
Mr Edosa Oviawe, the Programmes Manager, Global Rights, said so far, what the nation had been doing in the extractive sector was robbing ‘Peter to pay Paul’.
According to Oviawe, in an attempt to exploit natural resources for cost of revenue, people’s lives in those communities are put at risk because they end up exposing them to vulnerability.
He said these were some of the conversations for the event to see how best to make the lives of the people at those communities better.
“You do not come to people’s communities, get economic gains, and then leave them vulnerable, vulnerable because they do not have access to good water, they don’t have access to their farms anymore and their livelihood.
“So, you are living them vulnerable in the attempts to have economic gains.
“ It is because of all of these that Global Rights decided to bring together the interest of these mining host communities across Nigeria to be able to strengthen their capacity.
“This is to engage and collectively struggle and demand for what is theirs, that is what has led to the formation of the Federation of Nigeria mining communities.’’
Oviawe said the event would equip the participants on the requirements of Community Development Agreement (CDA) among others.
Dr Temitope Olaifa , a member of the Federation said dealing with miners had been a very difficult terrain as most times, miners do not think the affairs of the communities were important.
Olaifa said communities were not empowered to know their rights, and to know the obligations of the miners to their communities.
She therefore, said the companies do as they like and only show some concern to draft CDAs when people raise eyebrows.
“So these are issues that need to be addressed in the sense that some miners even connive with the leaders of communities to give them a pittance and then they roll into work and they do whatever they like.
“This is why it is important that CSOs rise to the occasion let them begin to look at it.
“There was a time we made a resolve that community development agreements must be written in the local languages of the people so that the people will know what they are attending their signatures onto.”
A traditional ruler, Oba Mukaila Salako, the Lakueuru II, Adokun of Igan-Okoto, Yewa North Egado Ogun, said his community was suffering in the hands of miners.
Salako said the cement company in his community was damaging their land and their crops like cocoa, and cashew among others.
“We wrote letters to them and the government to help us but they kept saying they will do it and begging us that they will soon do it but that is the end of it.
“So, I want government to help us because we are suffering in all rural areas.’’