RULAAC urges Minister to intervene in Amumaraokahia sand mining crisis, aided by traditional ruler

Stanley Ihedigbo

Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center (RULAAC) has appealed to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development to intervene urgently in the crisis caused by illegal and unregulated sand mining in Amumaraokahia village, Imo State.

The development was alleged to have been aided by the traditional ruler of Adakam, Eze O B Nwokocha.

The village, located in Adakam Amumara autonomous community, Ezinihitte Mbaise Local Government Area (L.G.A), has been devastated by the activities of foreign invaders who have been mining sand in the village rivers for over five years without the consent of the village leadership.

According to the RULAAC’s Executive Director, Com. Okechukwu Nwanguma, in his letter with the theme, “An appeal for your urgent intervention to save Amumaraokahia village in Adakam Amumara Ezinihitte Mbaise L. G
A, Imo State from the cumulative effects leading to the broader ecological consequences of illegal and unregulated sand mining in the village rivers”, stated that they have been approached by the leadership of Amumaraokahia village in Adakam Amumara autonomous community in Ezinihitte Mbaise L.G.A Imo State regarding the devastating impacts of illegal and unregulated sand mining which has been going on in the two rivers in the village and the growing tensions from the resistance by the youth against powerful interests who insist on the continuation of dredging activities in disregard for the envorinmematl and health hazards and outcry by the villagers over the effects.

The village leaders noted that for about five years, high-level illegal and unregulated sand mining has been going on in two rivers in Amumaraokahia village by some foreign invaders who do not have the consent of or agreement with the village leadership

They also noted that many of those who have invaded the village rivers carrying out these illegal activities are strangers who were aided by the traditional ruler, in utter contempt and disregard of the consent, agreement, and interest of the host community.

“That at the moment, close to 20 dredging machines are operating in the two small rivers and that the movement of many heavy-duty trucks that ply their roads daily carrying and supplying sand permanently generates dust that pollutes the atmosphere and damages the roads without compensation or efforts to minimize the damaging effects.

“Besides the illegality of the operations, noncompliance with the Mining Act, and the unregulated nature of the operations, the villagers are also concerned that there are more dredging machines in the rivers than the rivers can carry. Overall, they are seriously concerned that inappropriate levels of dredging relative to the river size can have profound and lasting effects on the river ecosystem and the surrounding environment.

“They are calling for an assessment by the Ministry to determine the extent to which the overuse of dredging machines in the rivers has led to significant environmental impacts: habitat destruction, erosion, water quality degradation, altered river flow, loss of biodiversity, disruption of sediment transport, impact on fish populations, and cumulative effects leading to broader ecological consequences. Besides the issues of illegality, the activities of illegal operators are leading to the escalation of tensions, threatening the breakdown of law and order,” they stressed.

“That repeated efforts by the village leadership to invite the self-imposed investors to a meeting to present their certificates, the reports of their environmental impact assessment, and if it is considered safe, to enter a Community Development Agreement with them, have been repeatedly and contemptuously ignored by the investors who insist that they owe loyalty and accountability only to the traditional ruler, Eze Nwokocha on whose authority they entered and commenced operations in the river.

” Some of the invaders masquerading as ‘investors’ make the dubious claims of having obtained licenses from the ‘Ministry of Mines’ and that many others who have no licenses are operating under their cover. It is indeed free for all and an all-comers business, with people simply carrying their dredging machines from anywhere and freely entering the river at will without any reference to the village leadership. They are also concerned to have realized that a certain individual who claims to be ‘an official of the Ministry of Mines’ and based in Owerri Imo State has been in cahoots with them and threatened the village when they complained and moved to check the reckless activities going on in their rivers.

“Tension is simmering, arising from the resistance by the youth of the village and the shenanigans by the traditional ruler and others with vested interests who want dredging to continue at all costs for their selfish benefits. They humbly and urgently call on the Honorable Minister to direct a team to ascertain the legality of the mining operations going on in Amumaraokahia, the validity of the licenses claimed by some of the operators, the level of damage and environmental impact of the activities a, and the roles of the traditional ruler of Adakam and those who claim to be officials of the ministry in Imo State including aiding what they believe are illegal, unregulated and environmentally destructive mining activities going on in their rivers”, they lamented.

RULAAC urged the Honourable Minister to consider issuing an order for the immediate cessation of any form of mining in the rivers not only to preserve whatever may be left of the river ecosystem and the integrity of the surrounding environment but also to de-escalate tensions and avert the breakdown of law and order.