Residents of Isara Remo in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State, under the aegis of the Isara Socio-Economic Vanguard, on Thursday called for the intervention of Governor Dapo Abiodun and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Daisi Elemide, over what they described as destructive activities of quarry operators in the community.
The community, led by Mr Taiwo Bakare, who is also the chairman of the group, had earlier presented a petition on the harmful activities of the quarry companies to the office of the governor and also visited the assembly to submit a copy to the speaker.
Residents said unchecked quarry operations had damaged roads and adversely affected the health of the agrarian community. They alleged that previous efforts to get quarry operators to support local socio-economic development had yielded no results and claimed that some community members had been enriching themselves by collecting unauthorised revenues from the companies.
Speaking to journalists, Bakare said, “For several years, our community has suffered utter neglect, intimidation, and unfair treatment at the hands of quarry operators and their collaborators.
“Despite being the host community, Isara has not meaningfully benefitted from the activities of the quarry companies.
“In total defiance of the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007, the quarries have refused to execute Community Development Agreements with Isara as the host community.
“The community presently suffers air pollution, environmental degradation, and bad roads caused by the heavy-duty trucks plying the road day and night.
“If the activities of quarries are not properly regulated by relevant government agencies, we may witness high cases of asthma, lung and skin cancer, in addition to untold degradation of our arable land and food insecurity in Remo North Local Government.”
The community further urged that families selling land to Chinese and other investors must seek approval from the state Ministry of Solid Minerals Development.
Bakare added, “The road linking Isara to Ago-Iwoye is now in a deplorable state due to quarrying. Farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to bring produce to the market. Most produce spoils before transportation, and when vehicles arrive, transport costs are exorbitant.”
The residents called on the governor to order an immediate investigation into compliance of quarry operations in the Peteku and Odo areas with the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007.
They also demanded scrutiny of illegal receipt printing and unauthorised levies collected by individuals, families, or groups.
Chairman of the Isara Development Council, Mr Benson Lawal, decried the environmental degradation caused by quarry operations.
“These quarries are operating without following the provisions of the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act, which mandates them to sign agreements with host communities and support initiatives that improve residents’ lives.
“There is a need for Governor Abiodun to protect the residents from quarry operators’ activities, which endanger sustainable development in the local government,” he said.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, recently stated that the solid minerals sector contributed 1.8 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP, recording 4.61 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2025.
He attributed the surge to federal reforms and stricter regulatory frameworks.
“Ten years ago, mining contributed less than 0.5 per cent to GDP. Today, it stands at 1.8 per cent, and the latest NBS data showing 4.61 per cent growth in Q2 2025 clearly demonstrates that our reforms are working,” Alake said.
