A civil society organisation, Policy Alert, has accused mining firms in Cross River of hugely shortchanging the government and host communities through weak accounting and poor sharing of benefits.

Policy Alert made allegation at a community engagement programme titled “Mining, Livelihoods, Environment and Community Participation.”

The programme organised in partnership with an NGO, “We the People,” was held in Mbobui, Akamkpa Local Government Area.

A Policy Alert Consultant, Mfon Gabriel,  said that an investigation had revealed gross non-implementation of agreements by mining firms.

Mr Gabriel said that the Community Development Agreement (CDA) signed between Lafarge a mining firm, and host communities since 2002 was largely unimplemented despite decades of mining activities.

He said that host communities had been exploited and denied benefits commensurate with the wealth extracted from their lands.

The consultant called for a new CDA ahead of the renewal of Lafarge’s mining licence during the year.

“Communities should freely determine their development priorities.
There should be compensation for unfulfilled obligations and projects neglected during the lifespan of existing agreements,” he said.

Speaking on the environment, Mr Gabriel said that residents of mining communities had reported cases of polluted water sources, dust pollution, and damaged homes due to excavations and constant blasting.

The consultant urged the federal government to conduct independent environmental audits to verify compliance with environmental standards in communities affected by mining activities.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, We The People, Ken Henshaw, said that mining communities continued to suffer health, environmental and livelihood challenges.

Mr Henshaw alleged that mining communities were excluded from critical decisions and only received benefits as privileges rather than enforceable rights.

He said that some ‘local elite’ and contractors were diverting opportunities and weakening the voices of community people.

The executive director added that apart from the communities, Cross River State and the federal government were losing substantial revenue due to inaccurate reporting of mining outputs.

A community stakeholder, Raphael Effiong from Abiati, a mining community, blamed some elite and local contractors for diverting employment opportunities meant for host community people.

Mr Effiong urged mining communities to hold their representatives accountable so that the benefits in mining activities would reach the ordinary people.

Lafarge undertakes mining activities in the Abiati, Akansoko, Mfamosin, Mbobui and Akwa Ikot Effanga communities.

(NAN)