Oyo State government has decried loss of revenue to illegal mining and failure by registered mining companies to pay tax and other dues to the coffers of the state.
Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said this in a statement on Friday in Ibadan.
The statement quoted Mr Abiodun Oni, the Chairman, Oyo State Mineral Development Agency, as making the observation while on familiarisation tour to mining sites along Ibadan – Lagos expressway on Friday.
Oni noted that many illegal miners are operating in the state without check and thereby causing a lot of havoc to the environment and the health of the people.
”Oyo state government is losing so much to illegal mining activities and this has been happening long before the present administration came on board but we are presently looking into ways by which we can stop it.
”Illegal mining contributes so much to degradation of the soil layers and causes a lot of damage to our ecosystem.
”We are already in the process to stop it, that is why we are here to meet those that are legally registered with the state government, to engage in mining business and facilitate a good rapport with them so as to engender cooperation.
”We will need their cooperation so as to be able to get them to do their constitutional obligations to the state, which is to pay their tax and dues for the state to develop infrastructure and maintain our environment,” he stated.
Oni called on the quarry owners and mining companies to give more cooperation to the state and reaffirmed government’s readiness to give them support for the growth of their business.
