The Ebonyi Government says it has commenced investigation into the collapse of a mining pit in Ihietutu, Ishiagu, Ivo Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Chidi Onyia, Commissioner for Solid Minerals, Ebonyi, said this on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Onyia said that the investigation commenced following a fact finding mission embarked by his office alongside federal mines officers and security agencies on Wednesday.
It would be recalled that two persons lost their lives, while three were injured when the pit collapsed last Friday.
Reports in some quarters alleged negligence on the part of the company, Greenfield Metals Ltd., but Onyia said preliminary investigation suggested natural occurrence.
“Mining, like many industries worldwide, comes with hazards and from our preliminary findings, this was a natural occurrence and not a result of negligence.
“Investigation is ongoing by all regulatory bodies, including the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals, police, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, to ensure transparency.
“We are looking at two weeks to conclude this investigation. We may not be correct if we base our report on what we saw on the field and we do not want to rule out the fact that people we met on ground may not be telling us the truth of what happened.
“In most cases, it is not always the fault of the miner, at times it is the fault of some of the people working in the pit; it could be as a result of their carelessness and this is the rainy season.
“The strength of the overburden in the rainy season and dry season can never be the same, so, we want to have a balanced assessment of what happened.
“If we discover that the collapse happened due to the miners’ carelessness, we will not hesitate to sanction him, but if it is a natural occurrence, we must accept it as such,” Onyia said.
According to Onyia, there is an existing license from the Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals through the Cadastral Office, Abuja, which makes the site functional, contrary to reports that it has been parceled out to illegal miners.
The commissioner commiserated with the bereaved families and urged the public not to worsen their grief with false claims, emphasising that the state does not encourage illegal mining, as it respected licenses issued by the federal government.
“Part of the problem we face when issues like this happen is that the immediate families will start negotiations with the company for compensation or the burial for their dead, even before the case is brought to the authorities.
“Some will say they don’t want a case, police or government involvement but it is not enough for us to be silent on compensation.
“When the incident happened, they reported to the Divisional Police Officer in Ishiagu, who then notified the office of the Commissioner of Police, but before we could establish contact with the people, the family of the deceased were already negotiating with the company.
“As I speak with you, one of the victims has been buried by the family, while the other corpse is still in the mortuary.
“I can tell you that the family had reached a compromise and collected a certain amount from the company which I may not call compensation.
“However, at the end of our investigation, we will now look at the proper compensation that will be paid to these families,” he added.
Onyia further said that those that were injured were hospitalised and taken care of by the company.
“I am aware that the company has given a certain amount to the injured, and that is not going to be final; we will ensure that they are properly taken care of by the company.”
Prince Fabian Chukwu, one of the community leaders, and Board of Trustees Chairman, Ihietutu Development Union, said the company had empowered a lot of people in the community.
“They built the road to this site and never delayed in giving the community its due entitlements.
“That is why we stand by them in this unfortunate incident.”
The company had since suspended operations at the site pending the outcome of investigations.
