{"id":60591,"date":"2017-12-20T05:00:52","date_gmt":"2017-12-20T04:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=60591"},"modified":"2017-12-20T05:00:52","modified_gmt":"2017-12-20T04:00:52","slug":"edo-gov-shuts-down-disputed-obu-mines-okpella-orders-cp-to-dislodge-illegal-miners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/edo-gov-shuts-down-disputed-obu-mines-okpella-orders-cp-to-dislodge-illegal-miners\/","title":{"rendered":"EDO GOV SHUTS DOWN DISPUTED OBU MINES, OKPELLA \u2026ORDERS CP TO DISLODGE ILLEGAL MINERS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Citing security concerns arising from the proclamation by the Federal
\nMinistry of mines that illegal mining activities are being carried out at
\nthe contentious Obu mines in Okpella, Edo state, the Governor, Godwin
\nObaseki yesterday shut down the mines until further notice.<\/p>\n

The governor said the decision was taken in the interest of peace and
\ntranquility, pointing out that flouting of his order will be met with
\nwrath of the state government.<\/p>\n

Consequently, the governor directed the state police Commissioner and the
\nArmy Brigade Commander in the state to halt further operations at the Obu
\nmines with immediate effect.<\/p>\n

It would be recalled that the ownership of the mines has been a subject of
\ndispute between the Africa\u2019s leading Cement manufacturers, Dangote Cement
\nPlc and Bua Cement, which the Federal Ministry of Mines had asked to
\nvacate the mines because it was an exploiting limestones in the area
\nillegally.<\/p>\n

Obaseki made the announcement while receiving in his office Community
\nheads and Chiefs of Ukhomunyio Okpella, whose community is hosting the
\ndisputed mines and had come to express reservation at the alleged use of
\nyouths as militia to enforce perceived rights to ownership of the mines
\nand thus creating security threat to the peace of the people.<\/p>\n

The governor described Okpella as the mineral gem of Edo state and as such
\nmineral resources ought to be a blessing to the people of the state \u201cbut
\nregrettably, the situation on ground has degenerated to a security threat
\nand therefore there is the need to nip it in the bud.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Federal Ministry of Mines which has authority over the mines has
\nproclaimed that what we have there now is illegal mining and we don\u2019t want
\nbreak down of law and order. The situation has degenerated badly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose of you were concerned have moved and tried to resolve the matter,
\nwe lost two of the people on the road to Benin while on the trouble
\nshooting mission to Benin.\u00a0 We had a meeting in Abuja two weeks ago and we
\nanalysed the Obu mines issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo people cant lay claim to one asset, until the court decides the
\nownership or the federal supervising agency, the Ministry of Mines says
\notherwise, I am closing down that Obu mines with immediate effect .
\nbecause we believe there is globally acceptable way of determining
\nownership in a contentious matter as this without recourse to self help\u201d<\/p>\n

The governor noted that mines is on the exclusive list of the federal
\ngovernment and the ministry said there is illegal mining going on there,
\n\u201cfrom today there will be no further mining operations in Obu\u201d
\nThe Okpela Chiefs applauded the government decision and declared their
\nloyalty to the state government saying the decision will bring relief to
\nthe people who have been living under fear.<\/p>\n

Earlier, spokesman of the Okpella Chiefs, Chief Moshood Aliu told the
\ngovernor that they were in his office to declared their support for the
\nstate government\u2019s effort at industrializing the state and for him to
\nintervene in the dispute between Dangote Cement and Bua.<\/p>\n

The Community heads disclosed that the youths of the Community are being
\nincited against one another in a bid to enforce perceived right to
\nownership of the mines, a situation he said generated tension in the area.
\nChief Moshood explained that while the location of the mines is\u00a0 not in
\ndispute, what is being disputed is the ownership, Obu mines was in the
\nthen Mid West, later Bendel and now Edo state. We are the occupier of the
\narea and we don\u2019t want trouble, the unilateralism and use of youths as
\nmilitia to enforce ownership right is condemnable.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Citing security concerns arising from the proclamation by the Federal Ministry of mines that illegal mining activities are being carried out at the contentious Obu mines in Okpella, Edo state,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":54477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nEDO GOV SHUTS DOWN DISPUTED OBU MINES, OKPELLA \u2026ORDERS CP TO DISLODGE ILLEGAL MINERS - Pointblank News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/edo-gov-shuts-down-disputed-obu-mines-okpella-orders-cp-to-dislodge-illegal-miners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"EDO GOV SHUTS DOWN DISPUTED OBU MINES, OKPELLA \u2026ORDERS CP TO DISLODGE ILLEGAL MINERS - 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