ASHENEWS reports that the federal government says it will push for the introduction of insurance for miners in the country.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake stated this when he paid a condolence visit to the Niger state governor, Mohammed Bago in Minna on Friday over the recent mining pit collapse which has left several miners trapped nearly four days after the incident.
“An insurance policy is part of the new policy we are putting in place to ensure that in this sector, there is the safety of operations, sanity in the operating environment and there is security in investments so we reduce fatalities and increase maximally, the revenue accruable from the solid mineral sector.
“There should be insurance for all mine workers so those injured will receive some gratification and those who lose their lives, their families won’t be left hanging.
The minister who described the incident as unfortunate but avoidable acknowledged the likelihood of hazards in every profession.
Speaking further on the findings by his ministry, Alake said “In this instance, we are reliably informed that the collapse was due to heavy downpour on the day of that incident.”
The minister noted that the federal government has been on the ground to lead rescue efforts since the incident occurred.
“As soon as we got wind of it at the federal setup, we also mobilized our men and materials and they are there but because of some peculiar reasons arising from insecurity, the topography and the nature of the soil and the lack of very sophisticated equipment, it’s been a very herculean task rescuing the trapped individuals.
“As we speak, efforts are still ongoing to bring out as many as practicable. Our objective is to bring out every single individual alive to go back to their families,” he said.
Alake who lauded the Niger state government for its quick response to the incident, urged the government to sustain the support.
Alake also called for better and more effective collaboration between the miners and the host communities.
“They have the knowledge of the local terrain and they can better inform these miners of where to go or burrow into the ground to avoid a disaster like this,” he said.
On his part, the Niger state governor, Mohammed Bago decried the incident as a huge disaster for the state.
“There is no inventory of the people that were on site at that particular point in time. Some are the two miners working for the company and others artisanal miners picking from the debris. It’s a huge disaster,” he said.
The Niger state governor who commended the federal government for their responsiveness to the incident also advocated for stronger relations between the state government and the federal government to ensure sanity in the solid minerals industry.
“There is need for a concerted efforts to make all miners with licenses relate with communities where these mines are. Relate with the local government, Emirates and the state government because if you know the site where this happened, no rescue mission outside the chopper and probably people who live in that mountainous area will be able to reach there immediately.”
Bago also advocated for the use of technology that isn’t hazardous to the environment by miners in the country.
He further lauded the federal government for approving N50 million to the communities affected, adding that the funds will be used judiciously to make sure the affected families are assisted.
