Committed to the discharge of the Environmental Protection and Internal Security mandates of their respective ministries, the Hon. Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR), Chief Uno Etim Uno, and his Ministry of Internal Security counterpart, Brigadier General Koko Essien (rtd), on Monday, August 28, 2023 embarked on an unscheduled inspection tour of a Chinese-owned mining company, Ruitai Mining Company, in Esuk Ikim Akeme community, Ibeno LGA.
The joint ministerial inspection team which also included the Permanent Secretary of MEMR, Iquo Abia, Esq on arriving Ibeno community, were conducted round the mining site by the Chairman of Ibeno LGA, High Chief Williams Mkpa.
The team discovered black clay-like minerals contained in sack bags of 50kg, and described by the miners as Titanium Ore.
On critical examination of the site amidst tight security, the Managing Director and Director of the company, Zeng Zhonghuan and Huang Ying, were not available at the site. The available staff members could not provide any information or documents.
At end of the inspection tour, the following anomalies were uncovered about the operations of the company, namely:
* The company, Ruitai Mining Company, is purely an exploration company
* Ruitai Mining Company’s Board of Directors comprises only Chinese, thus, not eligible to acquire the Small-scale Mining License as claimed.
* The Company has not conducted the Environmental Impacts Assessment ( EIA) in its mining operations.
* The company has not submitted the Environmental Management Plan (EMP), among others.
In view of the above anomalies, the Inspection Team made the following recommendations:
* That Ruitai Mining Company should terminate its mining operations forthwith, until due clearance legitimizing its operations is completed with the State Government.
* That the Company should approach Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources(MEMR) on or before Friday, 1st September, 2023 with all the relevant papers authorizing its operations, with full coordinate of the area approved for its mining operations.
* That all security operatives should be withdrawn from the mining site, while the DPO of Ibeno LGA, SP Victor Ezekwu, should enforce the directive in order to ensure strict compliance.
Those in the inspection team also included the Director – Mineral Resources, Mrs. Emem Ibokette; Director – Flood and Erosion Control, Mr. Okon Udo; and the Chapter Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Miners Association, Mr. Iyakise Udofia.
Information Unit
MEMR