The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN), yesterday, expressed worry over social distancing among miners and declared suspension of all mining activities.
The suspension order was contained in a statement signed by the National President, MAN, Kabir Kankara, and National Secretary, MAN, Dele Ayanleke.
According to the statement considering peculiar nature of mining activities which are mostly domiciled in the rural communities with attendant lack of health and other basic amenities, infiltration of illegal immigrants and high level of social contacts and interactions among the miners and other camp dwellers, the association has come to the conclusion that the state of mining sites is not in tandem with social distancing as a major weapon to combat the spread of COVID-19.
The statement reads in part, “The association has been monitoring, with patriotic interest, the developments and all measures being taken at mitigating the effects of this monumental health challenge and curbing its spread, by the Federal Government, state governments and health authorities at both local and international levels.
“And having also considered the peculiar nature of our mining activities which are mostly domiciled in the rural communities with attendant lack of health and other basic amenities, infiltration of illegal immigrants and high level of social contacts and interactions among the mineworkers and other camp dwellers, the association has come to the conclusion that the state of our mining sites is not in tandem with ‘social distancing’ as a major weapon to combat the spread of ‘COVID-19’.
“It is in the light of the above that the National Executive Council of Miners Association hereby directs all our members across the nation to close all mining operations forthwith until the nation survives this global emergency.
“We also appeal to other non-member miners to heed this patriotic directive in the overall national interest. This directive becomes imperative in view of the volatility of social interactions in mining communities and the high rate of mobility of mineworkers, even across the borders. Any window of entry of the virus into any of our minefields may spell doom at all efforts at curbing its spread.
“While we are not unaware of the cumulative economic and operational costs of the adherence to this directive on the investments of our members and other miners, we plead that they should regard this call as our sacrificial contributions to deliver our nation, fellow citizens, ourselves and other residents from the pandemic of Coronavirus.”
The association also identified with President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians over the outbreak of the virus in the country, and prayed to God to have mercy and intervene in stopping the spread of the virus.
“The Miners Association of Nigeria (MAN) hereby identifies with the President, Commander-In-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, the entire people and residents of Nigeria on the challenge of Coronavirus, tagged ‘COVID-19’, which has become a global pandemic plaguing the entire nations and continents of the world”, it added.