In a major bid to sanitise its extractive sector, the Ebonyi State Government has officially inaugurated a specialised Task Force on Solid Minerals Development.

The strategic move aims to enforce regulatory compliance, suppress illegal mining operations, and plug severe revenue leakages across the state’s mineral-rich landscape.

Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals and Development, Chinedum Nkah, disclosed that task force units will be deployed across Ebonyi’s three senatorial districts to maintain continuous oversight over all mining and quarrying activities.

”The core engine of our state’s economy lies within solid minerals, and it is a sector that must be taken with absolute seriousness,” Nkah emphasised, noting that despite being endowed with vast natural deposits, Ebonyi has historically struggled to derive benefits proportional to its wealth.

Addressing the friction between federal licensing and local governance, Commissioner Nkah clarified that while mining licences fall under the exclusive legislative jurisdiction of the Federal Government, the state retains the constitutional duty to safeguard its environment and citizens.

He condemned the trend of operators leaving abandoned, dangerous excavation pits across host communities without fulfilling their social contracts.

”You cannot simply claim you obtained a licence from Abuja and then act with impunity within this state. That era is over,” Nkah stated.

“The primary goal of this task force is to guarantee strict adherence to existing state laws, regulations, and Community Development Agreements (CDAs).”

The ministry outlined clear operational boundaries and enforcement mandates for the newly formed task force:

“Monitoring and enforcing prohibitions on the night-time movement of mineral-bearing trucks and after-hours rock crushing.”

“Inspecting consignments to ensure hauled volumes match official documentation, preventing tax evasion and under-declaration.”

“Stopping the illegal deployment of children and pregnant women in dangerous mining tasks.”

“Intercepting stolen minerals being illegally moved or traded away from legitimate concessions.”

“Mandating that all licensed operators display official signposts and current proof of statutory revenue payments.”

To ensure seamless field operations, members will undergo specialized training jointly conducted by ministry officials and security agencies. Officers will also be outfitted with standardized, official jackets, caps, and identification credentials to prevent impersonation by fraudulent actors.

The Commissioner issued a stern warning to the newly inaugurated team against using their authority for personal enrichment or illicit gain, stressing that major enforcement actions such as sealing a company must receive direct authorization from the ministry.

”We have not appointed you to make money for yourselves. If you adopt that corrupt mindset, you will find yourself in serious trouble,” Nkah warned, adding that any officer using their official ID card for unauthorized activities will face immediate prosecution.

This inauguration marks a pivotal step in Ebonyi State’s broader economic blueprint to transform its solid minerals sector into a safer, heavily regulated, and sustainable driver of state revenue and community development. (Channels TV)