The Federation of Nigeria Mining Host Communities (FNMHC), Ebonyi chapter says it is committed to addressing the injustices and deprivations suffered by mining host communities in Ebonyi.
Dr Francis Orji, Ebonyi coordinator of the federation stated this on Friday in Abakaliki in an address presented to Dr Ben Odoh, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of Ebonyi when he led other members and leaders of the group to a courtesy visit to his office.
He noted that the core mandate of the federation was to assist mining communities to articulate their common struggles and demands for extractive justice and equity in resources distribution.
According to him, Global Rights in 2019 catalysed the formation of the Federation of Mining Host Communities of Nigeria across the 36 states of the country in an attempt to amalgamate mining host communities.
“The idea behind establishing the federation is to enable communities to articulate their common struggles and demands for extractive justice and equity in resources distribution especially by mining host communities.
“Federation of Nigeria Mining Host Communities is a citizens-led initiative to demand accountability and to protect the rights of mining host communities and ensure a trickle of the benefits of mineral resources to the communities from which they are harnessed.
“Ebonyi state chapter of the federation in line with the mandate of the FNMHC, aims to create a strong platform for mining host communities in the state and the government, towards the protection of the rights of mining host communities.
“The federation is equally committed to ensuring transparency in extractive revenue receipts that feed into the state and federation accounts.
“It is sad to note that almost all the host communities in the state wallow in abject poverty without social amenities including; roads, electricity, water, education among others.
“The communities suffer from pollution and environmental degradation, despite the millions of Naira that extractive companies make from the communities,” Orji said.
Orji, a one time Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Community Development in Ebonyi said that there were alleged reported but, uninvestigated cases of human rights abuses and exploitation of host communities by the extractive companies.
“Members of the federation commit to working collaboratively with your ministry in developing and communicating strategies, advocacy plans, and broader holistic efforts geared at community empowerment, social and economic justice, and corporate extractive accountability.
“In the light of the above, we have identified your ministry as one of the cardinal organs of government that will assist us to meet our legal requirements in the pursuit of our objectives,” he added.
The group used the occasion to inform the commissioner of the federation’s plans to embark on visits to mining host communities and some sites to engage them in conversations and understand their challenges.
“We shall also engage with non state actors on judicial conflict mediation where mining induced conflicts exists in order to promote healthy and peaceful environment necessary for business to grow and profit the state and mining host communities.
“We shall also be building capacity of host communities and members on doing mining right and on their legal rights within the contest of Community Development Agreement (CDA) and Environmental Protection (EP),” he said.
The federation while appreciating the commissioner for receiving them, commended the state governor, Mr Francis Nwifuru for his landmark achievements so far especially as it concerns digitisation of justice delivery system in Ebonyi.
Odoh, in a brief remark thanked the federation for the visit and for their commitment in the fight for justice and rights of people in mining host communities.
He said that the ministry of Justice and Ebonyi government would support and partner with the federation in providing legal safe haven for both the host communities and the mining companies.
He said that the mining extractive industry has so much to offer to the people and government stressing that government would support any effort and strategies to ensure equity , social and economic justice.
He noted that operators in the sector should be monitored to ensure that their operations and activities were in consonance with the approved legal standards.
“We commend your efforts and we assure you that as a government that we will continue to provide legal framework necessary to ensure equity, transparency , social justice and accountability in the sector,” Odoh said. ENDS//
