Worries As Illegal Mining Pollutes Osun River

 

• We Don’t Want to Have Record of Lead Poisoning – Resident
• Govt Is Addressing The Matter – Ibitoye

By Ismaeel Uthman

There is increasing concern over the change in the
colour of Osun River.

 

OSUN DEFENDER observed that the river has for over two months worn a brown colour, creating apprehension among residents of Osogbo, capital of the state of Osun.

Findings showed that the brownish colour of the river is not unconnected with illegal mining activities going on in Ijesaland.

Residents of the town have been expressing worries over the continuous brownish colour of the River.

According to them, the river has changed from its normal colour to brown, an indication that the water has been polluted somewhere along the river courses.

Some of the people who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, stated that the colour of the water might have changed due to the indiscriminate illegal mining activities in Ijesaland.

A resident of Gbodofon, Osogbo, Mr Taofeek Babatunde said the increase in the level of mining activities in Ijesaland could not be unconnected with the brownish colour of the water flowing through Osun river.

Babatunde said: “I have observed like you that the river has changed colour for a very long time. From discussion with some people, I was made to know that the river might have been polluted by the illegal mining activities in Ijesaland.

“They said so because there are more than 100 illegal mining sites in Ijesaland, making the areas seriously volatile. This has resultant effect on streams and eventually, they link up and flow into Osun river. I think that is what is happening.”

Another concerned person, Mr Gbenga Ajibade called on the State Government to look into the cause (s) of the brownish colour of the river.

Ajibade said: “The government should investigate the causes of the change of colour of the Osun river. People have been giving so many reasons as to why the river changed colour. The scariest of the reasons is that the mining activities in Ijesaland have polluted the Osun river.

“Some people said most of the mining sites have turned to streams which flow into other rivers to connect Osun river in Osogbo. If this is true, then there is danger because of the chemicals like lead that would have contaminated this water.

“We don’t want to suffer lead poising in Osun. You would recollect that the indiscriminate mining activities in Zamfara State polluted their water and as a result the people in the state suffered lead poisoning for months. That is part of the reasons the state government stopped all mining activities in the state.

“Unfortunately, the displaced artisan miners in Zamfara have found refuge in Ijesaland where illegal mining is ongoing.

“This has resulted to threats to our security and environment because there have been upsurge in illegal mining in the area. Our environment has been polluted and now the Osun river in Osogbo might be suffering from the pollution.

“The State Government should look into this because it is a serious environmental hazard if it is true. Some people somewhere are drinking water from the Osun river. We don’t want to record any incident of lead poisoning in the state.”

Speaking on the matter, Special Adviser to the Governor on Water Resources and Energy, Engr Adeniran Ibitoye confirmed that the Osun river has been polluted by the mining activities in Ijesaland, just as he disclosed that the state government was taking action on the matter.

Ibitoye who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone interview on Wednesday said: “We have also observed that the Osun River has changed to brown colour. It is the illegal mining activities that changed the condition of the water. But we have taken action on it.

“The Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, Ministry of Environment and Sanitation and the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff which are supervising mining activities in the state are finding the solution to the matter.

When asked the change of colour of the Osun river poses any danger to the people, Ibitoye said: “It actually posses danger to the people except we want to deceive ourselves because some people are drinking the water directly like we do in the olden days.”

Corroborating Ibitoye’s submission, the Executive Secretary, Office of Natural and Mineral Resources, in the Deputy Chief of Staff office, Mr Kayode Lanlehin said the State Government is not unmindful of the dangers posed by the illegal mining activities, among which is the pollution of the Osun river.

Lanlehin said: “The illegal mining activities going on in Ijesaland actually call for concern and the government is not unmindful of the problems caused by this indiscriminate mining. However, we need to realise that mining is on the Exclusive List of the Constitution. It is the Federal Government that can legislate on what to do.

“But since these illegal miners are in our domain, we would not allow them to continue working on the mining sites without regards to our environment and environmental rules and regulations. What government is doing is to sanitise mining activities to make sure that people do mining the way it should be done. Efforts are ongoing to reform the mining sector but we need enforcement.”

The Executive Secretary disclosed that the illegal miners were being sponsored by ‘untouchable people’ in the country.