By Alfred Akwe
A mining firm operating in Nasarawa State, Lideal Mines Limited, has pledged to strengthen its partnership with the state government and uphold standard mining practices following a recent clampdown on its mining site by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
The development comes four days after mining activities at the company’s site in Endo, Nasarawa Local Government Area, were halted by officials of the ministry led by the Commissioner, Princess Dr. Margaret Elayo, over alleged non-compliance with environmental standards.
In a press statement issued in Lafia, the company’s spokesperson, Pastor Joseph Omozoje, said Lideal Mines Limited remains a law-abiding firm, duly licensed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
He dismissed reports portraying the firm as engaging in illegal mining, stressing that the company has not jettisoned environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements, noting its awareness of the impact of mining activities on host communities.
According to Omozoje, mining operations at Lideal Mines are supervised by qualified and experienced mining engineers and conducted in line with established mining engineering principles.
He explained that the company was unaware of any prior directive from the ministry to halt operations, adding that management was caught unprepared by the assessment visit. He noted, however, that officials of the Nasarawa State Government—led by the Commissioner for Environment, Princess Margaret Elayo, Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mohammed Ottos, and the Managing Director of NASIDA, Barrister Ibrahim Abdullahi—were eventually accorded full cooperation.
Reacting to the arrest of three Chinese nationals at the site, the spokesperson described the incident as regrettable, attributing the brief commotion to resistance from artisanal miners in the surrounding area rather than violent actions by company staff.
He maintained that no property was destroyed and assured that steps are being taken to address concerns raised by the ministry. He appealed for calm, reaffirming the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility and collaboration with the Nasarawa State Government to boost the mining sector and drive socio-economic growth.
Pastor Omozoje also urged media practitioners to verify facts before publication to avoid misleading the public, while commending Governor Abdullahi Sule for his timely intervention and efforts at fostering an investor-friendly environment in the state.
He concluded by assuring that Lideal Mines Limited is ready to work closely with the Ministry of Environment to resolve all outstanding issues. Follpw Krestnews.com