Plateau State Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development, Sylvanus Dongtoe, has called on citizens to support the government’s decision to suspend mining activities in the state, emphasizing the need to reposition the sector for coordinated and sustainable operations.

He said the indiscriminate mining in the state was breeding social vices that should stop.

Speaking in his office in Jos during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by Chairman Polycarp Auta, Dongtoe highlighted the negative social and environmental impact of indiscriminate mining, citing that apart from the large-scale environmental degradation, many students have abandoned schools to engage in illegal mining activities.

Among other things, he said, “This issue of mining, I want to use this opportunity also to appeal to you. The intention of the government is not to punish any person. It’s not to subject the citizen of the State to hardship, but rather, to reposition the State such that it would be a place that is envied, where people come in for legitimate activities.

“But when the Governor signed Executive Order 001, 2025 suspending mining activities, you can see that a lot of people, particularly the political class, are taking it to be like a political feud, castigating the government. Help to enlighten the public on why the government had to take that decision.

“It’s quite unfortunate that our youths these days, some schools had to be closed because the pupils abandoned schools for mining. In construction, you rarely find artisans because they have gone for mining. They are no longer even farming. What happens if the tin ceases? Somebody in 300L had to abandon his school to go for mining.

“There is the issue of sexual harassment and whatnot, unwanted pregnancy, women moving out of their husbands’ houses, chasing after the miners. You know how these things will not help us. I think it sends a negative picture about Plateau State.”