By Adeola Badru
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South West Zone D, have raised an alarm over the alleged activities of Segilola Operating Resource Company in relationship to gold mining and processing in Ijesha land, Osun State.
This, according to the students’ body, calls for urgent attention from the government to prevent serious environmental havoc.
Hence, the students’ body called on the Osun State and federal government to take necessary action before the company’s action causes damage to the people of Ilesha.
In a statement by the Coordinator, NANS Zone D, Comrade Adejuwon Emmanuel Olatunji made available to journalists on Thursday in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, the association decried the dangers associated with gold mining processes on the ecosystem most especially when it is not regulated or done in best practices.
The statement reads: “The attention of National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) Southwest Zone D has been drawn to the activities of Segilola Operating Resource Company in the aspect of Gold mine and processing in ijesha land of Osun State.”
“Having carried out series of investigation on the activities of the said company and its environmental impacts on our people, we have decided to make our positions known before causing serious havoc within the region.”
“NANS under our watch will not fold hands and watch our people suffering for the failure and poor monitoring of the mining activities within ijesha land.”
“As a students’ body, we have read and heard of the operations of Segilola Operating Resource Company in the Atakunmosa East Local Government Area of Osun State which deals in what we best describeed as illegal gold mining in the Iperindo axis of Ilesha.”
“And the activities of this company is being carried out very closed to two tertiary institutions, Osun State College of Education and Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesha.”
“Without mincing words and without engaging in unnecessary rhetorics, we all know the dangers associated with gold mining processes on the ecosystem most especially when it is not regulated or done in best practices.”
“In addition to this, it contaminates water, causes slow growth rate in plants and respiratory problem, liver and kidney damage in man and damages landscapes which leads to displacing communities and households.”
“We are disturbed with the activities of Segilola Operating Resource Company and some other elements involved in illegal gold mining in Osun state most especially in the Ifewara-Ilesha axis of the state.”
“It is quite saddening and frightening that the relevant government agencies that should regulate activities of gold mining and also arrest culprits are also fond wanting.”
“As an association, we deem it fit to demand for the observation of the whole mining site as being operated by Segilola Operating Resource Company in the Iperindo area of Ilesha so as to evaluate the physical impact of mining and to collect soul samples from the surface of the mined and un-mined area within the mining sites for some laboratory tests to be conducted on it before it started affecting the physical structures of the two tertiary institutions and the students themselves.”
“Going forward, we say a total No to the illegal mining in any part of the South Western region most especially Osun state, where the consequences may fall on students and the community, hence, immediate government intervention is needed urgently,” the statement ended. (Vanguard)