On Tuesday the 17th of August 2021, the special adviser to the Gov Dave Umahi on Solid Mineral, Hon. Ozoemena Njoku visits some of the mining sites in Ebonyi State.
Speaking to our reporter Hon Njoku confirmed that he and his team are on visits to mining sites to conduct enumeration, as directed by the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State His Excellency Gov. David Nweze Umahi FNSE, FNATE to ascertain the number of mining sites in Ebonyi State both functional and non-functional ones.
So far the areas covered by this team includes;
Nwafor egu Ameka, Mbaraeke Ameka both in Ezza South, Ogidiga in Ikwo and Enyimgba, Amachi in Abakaliki LGA.
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Addressing some of the villagers and the men working on those sites, Mr. Njoku gave them reasons why it became pertinent that the government step in especially this time to ascertain the numbers of the sites, the locations and also the Miners or investors to help curtail some illegalities going on in the sites and most importantly to protect the lives of Ebonyians and other passers-by which is the primary function of the government.
He went further to educate them on the effects of going too close to the pits and living in the same room with the extracted material especially the children, because he discovered that most of the materials illegally acquired are hidden in their rooms . He also talked about the dangers of opening these pits near residential buildings and roads especially the highways, given example of the recent incident which claimed the lives of the caretaker youth leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Comrade Ogochukwu Elem and two Police men last Saturday the 15th of this August 2021.
Njoku decried manner by which some illegal Miners cart away Ebonyi Mineral Resources without due process and paying their IGR to the state government and at the end endangering the lives of the villagers and other passers-by due to the bottomless pit opened and abandoned after extractions. He promised that actions must be taken urgently against such behavior.
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Other members of the team are, Mrs Nwakaego Nworie (consultant) and Ifeanyi James (SA to the chief of staff) also expressed their dissatisfaction about the locations of some of these mining sites expecially those near residential buildings and highways, and promise that the state government will be on the toes of the miners to cover all abandoned pits as matter of urgency.
The SA promise to continue from where they stopped the next day to make sure that they have the number of all the sites as soon as possible to enable them take proper action before the stipulated time.
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