THE federal government has revealed that it will soon unveil strategies on how to check the problems of water contamination and pollution in the Federal capital Territory as well as across the country. This was contained in a press statement from the Federal Ministry of Water Resources after a focal meeting between the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello.
The press statement signed by Kenechukwu Offie, Director (Information), quoted Engr. Adamu as saying that the meeting was a follow up to a video that went viral on various Social Media Platforms decrying the mining of gold in Kutasa Community under Karshi District of Abuja Municipal Area Council said to be contaminating water sources on which communities there depend as well as causing environmental degradation.
According to the minister, upon receiving the reports of the mining activity in that area, he had directed that Nigeria Water Integrated Management Commission (NWIMC) visit Kutasa Community, and carry out investigation. He said NWIMC’s investigation revealed that gold mining exploration was actually taking place in the community and that a report from Nigeria Integrated Management Commission (NIMC) has given “a red flag” that must be immediately addressed.
The minister stated that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources will not allow the experience of Niger State where people died of lead poisoning to repeat itself in the FCT, adding that the meeting was therefore to articulate strategies aimed at ending the negative activities of mining in Abuja as well as in Nigeria as a whole. He said the meeting will also afford the two ministers a good opportunity to harmonise their positions before further meeting with the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
In his response, the Minister of FCT, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello noted with dismay that the company undertaking the mining activities in Kutasa Community was not granted lease to mine gold in that Community. The action of the company, he said, is against the existing mining policy. Mallam Bello also pointed out that Jabi Lake is getting contaminated as a result of human activities and population growth around the area.
The FCT Minister also stated that he has also received information that other water sources such as the Lower Usuma Dam are also being contaminated with undesirable debris as a result of increased human activities. He therefore called for proactive and collaborative efforts by the Ministries of Water Resources and FCT towards harmonising the various reports into a working document so as to take up the matter with the Minister of Mines and Steel Development.
