"We Are Very Open To Suggestions, Most of all, Information About Mining Activities", Amina Dyeris-Sijuwade Kaduna state Commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources Says
This task of redefining the Ministry and making it more result oriented was placed on the shoulders of Amina Ruth Dyeris-Sijuwade, an amiable but well focused and determined woman whose dedication to her work, has brought about a tangible change in the environmental improvements witnessed. From tackling the perennial issues of flooding in the state to environmental waste management and disposal, Kaduna state, her story of success is receiving applause and commendations.
Amina Dyeris-Sijuwade spoke with NAIJ NEWS ALERT’s Editor-in-Chief, Emmanuel Onotevure.
Excerpts:
The recent mop up exercise of plastics bottles and bags in the city metropolis has been applauded as a commendable exercise by members of the public.
However, many have asked how you hope to sustain this considering tat, plastic bottles and bags have become a regular feature especially among producers and manufacturers of packaged water and also with market people today in the country?
Thank you for the commendation. This is a pilot programme which, hopefully, is going to serve as a sensitization programme for the residents of Kaduna state, as to the nuisance of plastics; non-bio-degradable plastics in our environment and the need for us to think of ways to deal with the problem and reducing their presence and the effects on our environment.
Now, as afar as sustainability, we intend to continue it into the year. But, I mentioned the fact that it is a sensitization programme because we hope it is going to teach Kaduna state residents on the need to separate and recycle plastics. Now, this programme means that we are getting very very involved by trying to get the separation and hand over to the recyclers but, with the increased sensitization our hope is that, more and more, there will be less for us to mop up.
This will probably be, because, the residents will have understood the importance and would have started separation and mop up at source, which, is in homes, residences, offices and basically, wherever plastics items are either bought, sourced or used.
In Kaduna state, there is an increase in the number of producers and manufacturers of packaged water containers and plastics.
How are you working to involve them in your sensitization programme?
Well, we have had our stakeholders meeting last week where we invited associations, plastic recyclers, some manufacturers and the whole idea again, is to have them participate and buy into the project.
They are one of the first people that should understand the problems; the nuisance and environmental impact that the proliferation of plastics bags and bottles pose to the environment and what we have done is to get our Environmental Protection Agency, KEPA to step up their monitoring and regulation on, particularly, this area of interest.
We expect that these companies are going to participate with us and we have reached out to a lot of them. This is on-going; for them to participate in this plastics mop up since; they are primarily, the generators of this kind of waste. We are also in talks with some of the federal agencies because, they have regulations also that relates to this but, there are areas that we need to work together. Some of these areas are being handled mainly by federal agencies so, we need to collaborate and see, how we can jointly, step up the regulations on this kind of things.
There has been one key issue that has been raised always in the public domain; the issue of mining in Kaduna state as to the regulations policies of the government. Some say that the policies of government have been very inimical to the sector itself.
How do you react to this?
Which of the policies of government? There is no clear cut state policy on mining, as mining is completely regulated at the federal level. So, what states do is that, we participate in the activities; the monitoring, of course, the regulations as stated by the Mining Act and the regulations, of course. That was why I was interested by asking which of the policies as we would like the public to be properly informed of what it is.
However, the Ministry Environment and Natural Resources has started discussions on how we can come up with our own position on Mining and its related activities in the state. The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has also been very encouraging to states on how we can all participate more.
In other words, cooperate more with the Federal Ministry in monitoring and regulations.
To this end, we have recently inaugurated the Mining Regulations Committee; what is known generally as “MIREMCO”. This is a committee that is set-up in partnership with the Federal Ministry Mines and Steel Development and has as its mandate, one clear cut area; Mining activities all through the states, particularly the rural areas and all.
So, we are doing that and we are trying to up our game and do our best as far as supporting the federal position and, I think that Kaduna state residents will see a lot more activities in this area, going into 2018.
Therefore, I do not think there is anything that we have done inimical but we are very open to suggestions, most of all, information about mining activities, especially in the rural areas, to help us address the challenges.
Recently, there was a meeting by the Nigeria Society of Mining Engineers. What is the way forward, after that meeting?
Actually, the Nigeria Society of Mining Engineers is a very crucial stakeholder in the mining sector in the country as a whole and we were very happy that they decided to have their 17th Annual General Meeting here in Kaduna.
We participated fully and, the Governor, His Excellency, Mallam Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai was represented by myself and we presented a few papers.
The theme; “Unlocking Investment Opportunities” to the Nigerian mining sector which they decided on, was very timely because it came at a time when the Federal Government realized that agriculture and solid minerals are two key areas that is helping galvanize our economy; opening up new areas, generating jobs and very importantly, increasing revenue generation.
So, we are very happy to partner with them and we will be seeing how we can continue with that.
At the last KADAFEST, the governor had informed that the gold deposits in Birnin Gwari area of the state is more than that of South Africa.
How did we arrive at this data and information?
Kaduna state has undertaken an exploration programme since 2012 under Sir Patrick Yakowa, the then Governor and we are actually at the end of the second stage. Now, that statement is borne out of exploration, analysis and of course, results that we have had.
Kaduna, has always, unofficially, been known maybe by some private exploration companies who might have some information about this; to be well known to be very rich in gold. There has been a lot of gold exploration and mining going on in the state, outside government for many many years.
Government is just trying to come in and take a stand and take a stake also in that area by, in not only the continuation by exploration programmes, but setting up a “gold processing and buying centre” in Birnin Gwari area which is the number one prospective area for gold and organizing artisanal miners in that area.
So, that statement comes from official reports.
During the last rainy seasons, residents of Kaduna state were apprehensive, following warnings and threats of likely flooding in certain states of the federation but, surprisingly, Kaduna did not witness anything of such despite the fears and warnings.
How were you able to achieve this feat?
(Laughter) Well, I will like to take the credit for it when you say “achieve this” because it was by totally human effort.
We are grateful, number one, to the Almighty for sparing us the unpleasant experience which we had a few years back. But, as far as human effort, you do recall that we did some work n some parts of the city as far as drainages last year. We were not able to complete it and that is still ongoing and it will go into 2018.
The little bit that we were able to do, greatly helped avert this situation but, the members of the public might have also, heard the very many announcements we made, when we were coming up to the peak of the rainy season. This meant that we asked residents in that alert, to evacuate areas of concerns and we are grateful that residents of Kaduna heeded that our call.
Also, we did some remedial work on some of the tributaries of River Kaduna which also helped. We had started that since last year and continued into early this year by desilting River Kaduna. So, that really helped avert a flooding situation and we are happy with the fact that we did not have the emergency situation and we will be looking to continue even though, with our efforts and improve on them going into next year.
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