Solid Minerals Development Minister Dele Alake has warned illegal miners to “stop committing suicide” by extracting minerals from abandoned pits without licenses, stating that there are more than 4,000 abandoned mining pits in Plateau State.
The Minister revealed this in a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, following the death of seven people in a collapsed mine pit at Kassa, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.
He called on investors to partner with the government to repurpose such sites for profitable projects.
Reacting to the collapse of an abandoned tin mine pit, the Minister said the tragic loss could have been avoided had the illegal miners formed a co-operative and applied for a permit.
Alake said the permit would have qualified them to benefit from the ministry’s artisanal mining department’s field training and ensured a steady stream of income.
“The challenge before the state and the Federal Government is how to turn these potential pits of death into centres of joyful prosperity”, Alake said.
He said the government welcomes investors interested in repurposing these pits for energy, tourism and fishery projects.
Alake said that collaborating with the private sector is the most proactive and fastest approach to turning dead assets into productive use, adding that the Ministry has rehabilitated 59 abandoned pits so far.
Credit: channelstv.com
The post Over 4,000 Abandoned Mining Pits In Plateau -Alake appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.
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