Environmental rights activists have declared that neither the miners, families of dead miners nor the economy had benefitted from 70 years of coal exploration in Enugu state.
The activists also called on the Enugu state government to be in the vanguard for calls for a just energy transition that respects the people and the environment.
They made the calls during a media interactive and town hall on coal mining organized by the Renevlyn Development Initiative, RDI, in collaboration with our local partners – New Life Community Care Initiative, NELCCI; Neighborhood Environmental Watch, NEW, Foundation; the Community Development Advocacy Foundation, CODAF, and Environmental Defenders Network, EDEN.
In his address, Philip Jakpor, the Executive Director of RDI, said a series of dubious dealings led to Enugu State government banning illegal mining in June 2023.
The advocates held that coal mining is no investment but a disinvestment to the communities.
Jakpor said: “While this action was good, we had anticipated that the state government would work with the Federal government to carry out an environmental audit to ascertain the true health of the bed rocks to continue to sustain life in Enugu.
“There are fears that Enugu may be sitting on a time bomb due to the underground mining that happened during the mining periods.
“But instead it would seem the state government embarked on a re-certification exercise of miners. The announcement last month by the Enugu State Government of December as the deadline for mineral title holders to commence coal mining operations in the state lends credence to our argument.
“There are many cases of the earth collapsing when locals are farming. There are open pits, ground water polluted and the communities overrun by herdsmen who have practically scared and chased away the original land owners.”
Also, he said: “Locals allege that trucks laden with coal are leaving Enugu every day and no proper documentation to know if it is illegally done or with the full support of the state government.
Demands
The activists said there is need for the authorities to consider some issues:
1. The Federal government should commence full and detailed audit of the post coal mining in Enugu.
2. Decommissioning of the moribund mines to avoid further environment degradation and loss of human life.
3. Profiling of former miners and adequate compensation paid to them. If they are now dead, their families should be identified and compensated.
4. Inform and regularly update citizens of Enugu on what’s going on in regards to coal mining.
5. Make public the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted by the selected firms
6. Make public any agreements the companies have with the coal mining communities
7. Properly explain the role of the Enugu state government in the extraction of coal. Is it a spectator, a collaborator or only some officials of government are running the show?
8. Explore potentials in renewable energy sources
9. Support mining communities to form a network to share ideas, monitor their environment and report unsustainable practices by firms engaging in coal extraction in their communities.
Other interventions
On his part, Afulike Okezie, Project Officer of NEW Foundation: “We confront a critical issue that affects not just the economic landscape, but also the health and well-being of our communities, as well as the sustainability of our environment.
“Coal mining, while historically significant, has left a complex legacy — one that includes both opportunities and challenges.”
For Barrister Chima Williams, ED of EDEN: We must remind those in government that they are tasked with managing what sustains us, hence they should concern themselves with the impacts that coal has on the lives and livelihoods of locals including veterans of coal mining.
“There is no alternative to decommissioning of the moribund coal mines. That is the only way to go.”
Ubrei Joe-Mariere, Director, Campaigns and Administration, CODAF, noted that “The Enugu state government should not be talking of mining at this time when the global community is moving in the direction of clean energy.
“Coal mining disrupts the social and economic lives of local communities. It is a major cause of landslides, erosion and large scale mining favours only the multinationals. In mining communities the relationship between the mining firms and communities is always fractured.”
