Kogi MIREMCO holds year end meeting, send off for departing member »

Kogi State Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee (MIREMCO) has held its 2019 End of the Year meeting where it also held a send off for a departing member of the committee.

The meeting was held on Wednesday at the committee’s secretariat in Lokoja where it reviewed the year and looked at the objectives achieved in the face of paucity of funds among other challenges.

Chairman of the committee, Hajiya Hassiat Suleiman in her address, expressed gratitude to the State Government for its continuous support to the committee for the successes it achieved in the year without which they would not have been possible.

She noted that the timely intervention of the committee and its adherence to the dictates of the Mineral Act went a long way in averting possible conflict between companies and their host communities, stating that companies’ delay in fulfilling their part of agreements led to the unsavory actions of some community youth.

Hajiya Hassiat urged the companies to commit to playing their part in ensuring peaceful coexistence among them and their hosts, adding that timely response to community demands would go a long in ensuring profitable working relationship.

She further admonsihed community youths to avoid taking laws into their hands and attempt peaceful coexistence by channeling their grievance to the appropriate authority for arbitration.

The meeting had all statutory members of the committee including representatives of Zuma 828 Coal Ltd and the representatives of the host communities of Okobo/Enjema in Ankpa Local Government Area in attendance.

After deliberations, the committee unanimously agreed that it achieved a lot of its set mandate especially in the area of mediation and conflict resolution and then evaluated existing Community Development Agreement between the mining company of Zuma 828 coal and its host communities of Okobo /Enjema with focus on 2019 year ending and how much of the developmental projects earmarked for the year as agreed upon in the CDA was implemented to completion.

The Committee recognises one of its statutory members who is now former Mining Environmental Compliance Officer at the State Mines Office, Engr Ishaku who was transfered out of the state to mark the send off.

A commemorative plaque and gifts were presented to him in appreciation of his diligence.