The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has berated the activities of Segilola Operating Resources Company on Gold mine and processing in Ijesha land of Osun State.
Having carried out a series of investigations on the activities of the said company and its environmental impacts on the people, NANS has decided to make their positions known before causing serious unrest within the region.
NANS in a statement on Thursday signed by Coordinator, NANS Zone D, Comrade Adejuwon Emmanuel Olatunji stated clearly that they will not fold their hands and watch the people suffer for the failure and poor monitoring of the mining activities within Ijesha land.
According to the statement, “The attention of National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) Southwest Zone D has been drawn to the activities of Segilola Operating Resource Company in the aspect of Gold mine and processing in Ijesha land of Osun state.
“Having carried out a series of investigations on the activities of the said company and its environmental impacts on our people, we have decided to make our positions known before causing serious havoc within the region.
“NANS under our watch will not fold hands and watch our people suffering for the failure and poor monitoring of the mining activities within Ijesha land.
“As a students’ body, we have read and heard of the operations of Segilola Operating Resource Company in the Atakunmosa East Local Government Area of Osun State which deals in what we best describeed as illegal gold mining in the Iperindo axis of Ilesha.
“The activities of this company are being carried out very close to two tertiary institutions, Osun State College of Education and Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesha. Without mincing words and without engaging in unnecessary rhetorics, we all know the dangers associated with gold mining processes on the ecosystem especially when it is not regulated or done in best practices.
“In addition to this, it contaminates water, causes slow growth rate in plants and respiratory problems, liver and kidney damage in man and damages landscapes which lead to displacing communities and households.
“We are disturbed with the activities of Segilola Operating Resource Company and some other elements involved in illegal gold mining in Osun state most especially in the Ifewara-Ilesha axis of the state. It is quite saddening and frightening that the relevant government agencies that should regulate activities of gold mining and also arrest culprits are also found wanting.
“As an association, we deem it fit to demand for the observation of the whole mining site as being operated by Segilola Operating Resource Company in the Iperindo area of Ilesha so as to evaluate the physical impact of mining and to collect soul samples from the surface of the mined and un-mined area within the mining sites for some laboratory tests to be conducted on it before it started affecting the physical structures of the two tertiary institutions and the students themselves.
“Going forward, we say a total No to illegal mining in any part of the South Western region most especially Osun state, where the consequences may fall on students and the community, hence, immediate government intervention is needed urgently”.
