Kwara begins sealing off illegal quarry sites

Ilorin, Nov. 15, 2023: The Kwara Government on Tuesday in Ilorin began the sealing off of quarry sites operating without necessary documents to validate their operations mode in the state.

The Acting Executive Chairman of Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KWGIS), Mr Abdulkareem Sulyman, led a state government team to observe activities at some of the quarry sites.

The sites were located around Eyenkorin in the Asa Local Government Area of the state, an area where the business was at its peak.

Several trucks were sighted loading stones from the sites.

While addressing newsmen during his team’s visit, Sulyman said the move was part of a bid to rid the state of illegal business outfits.

“This exercise became necessary as part of KWGIS responsibilities to control the activities of quarries in the state and ensure that business is run within the purview of government.

“We discovered that some companies were causing damages to our land, through their kind of business.

“There is Federal presence here, especially the bridge and blasting taking place at the surroundings.

“By implication, the bridge is being affected, which is of course detrimental to human existence as well as the safety of those in the neighborhood,” he said.

The KWGIS Chairman explained that his team was there to seal the premises.

”This is done with an instruction that the affected companies report to our office with all the necessary papers that permitted them to  operate.”

Sulyman however warned the perpetrators that government would not fold its arms and watch illegal operation of quarry business in the state.

”There shall be consequences, if they are caught,” he said.

With Sulyman during the operation were the KWGIS Acting Administrative Secretary, Mrs Motunrayo Adaran, Director Physical Planning, Taiye Mohamed, Deputy Director, Sunday Idowu, and other senior officers of the agency.