THE Federal Government has suspended mining activities within the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC) Ile-Ife, Osun State, and its environs.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development Dele Alake gave the order in his office in Abuja on Tuesday after a meeting with OAU Vice-Chancellor Adebayo Bamire and the Chief Medical Director of OAUTHC John Okeniyi.
“Following the outcry generated by reports of illegal mining or suspicion of nefarious activities by mining operators within OAU, we immediately deployed officials of the Nigeria Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) and Mines Inspectorate for an on-the-spot assessment,” he said according to a statement from his media aide Segun Tomori.
“Preliminary reports that reached me indicated that there were indeed some activities around the premises. The ministry then stopped all activities, whether legal or illegal, for further investigations”.
