NGO Seeks Awareness On Rights Of Mineral-Bearing Communities

A non-governmental organisation, Neighborhood Environment Watch-Foundation (NEW-F), has called for intensive rights awareness campaign for the mineral-bearing communities in Ebonyi.
The Executive Director of NEW-F, Dr Kelechi Okezie, made the call in an interview with The Tide source in Abakiliki yesterday.
Okezie expressed regret that most of the host communities were allegedly being short-changed and deprived of their right to enjoy the benefit accruing to their area from mining operations due to their ignorance.
He said mining falls under the exclusive list of the constitution, adding that Nigeria is a signatory to extant international laws governing mining activities.
Okezie said that proper knowledge of the laws was necessary to reduce restiveness, violent agitations and killings in the host communities.
He said that the companies were exploiting the ignorance of the host communities, hence could not discharge their corporate social responsibility to them.
He said: “Apart from local laws guiding mining activities in Nigeria, there are also international laws that govern mining operations.
“So, building the capacity of the host communities is essential to equip them with the knowledge of their rights.
“The knowledge they have will enable them to enforce compliance among the mining companies in their areas within the context of the law.
“When people know their rights and begin to demand for these rights using legal instruments it will reduce conflicts, needless agitations and everything will become open and transparent.
“So, what the mining or mineral-bearing communities will do is to get knowledge of the rights governing mining operations, know how to go about appropriating these laws to the advantage of the communities.
“Again, the knowledge of their rights will help them in drafting the Community Development Agreements (CDAs) as well as knowing what steps to take to make such agreements enforceable.”