The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development has ordered two foreign companies to begin and conclude all processes towards the signing of Community Development Agreements to ensure the transfer of social and economic benefits of their mining projects to residents of the Chachi community, Zuma Rock Estate, their host community that has been affected by mining activities in the area.
The Director, Mines Environmental Compliance Department, Okono Vivian, disclosed that the companies, Huatai Construction Ltd and Lian Hua Quarry, had been directed to provide development services to the communities with immediate effect.
This is a follow-up to earlier visits carried out by the Ministry following The PUNCH report of Thursday, November 17, 2022, which highlighted how foreign firms operating mining sites had been making lives unbearable for residents of Chachi Community, Zuma Rock Estate in the Federal Capital City.
In the special feature titled, “Abuja communities where residents live in fear of miners,” it was reported that the quarries close to the UNESCO-certified Zuma Rock, have literally become a valley of fear due to the threat to life posed by heavy-duty machine dissecting rocks in the area.
The report also chronicled visible cracks on houses due to the heavy vibration resulting from a series of rock explosions with no form of compensation or corporate responsibility offered to the affected families, despite pleas by community leaders.
But speaking to The PUNCH, the ministry stated that its officials visited the community after the report was published.
It added that consultations with traditional leaders were ongoing and promised to ensure that the projects were delivered to the communities within the shortest possible time.
One of the companies, Huatai Construction Ltd, owned by a Chinese will compensate Daupe and Chachi communities while Lian Hua Quarry will provide community services to Zuma Rock Estate.
The companies also promised to appease families whose houses collapsed due to rock explosions as identified in the report.
