By Chuks Nwokeji
Recently Joint Council of Elders of Umudochie Umuoma Nekede in Owerri West LGA made a publication calling for necessary and prompt action to stop all forms of dredging activities at Otamiri Umudochie Umuoma, a perusal of the publication shows it was full of deception, coated with mischivousness, misinformation.
In reality is a fake alarm, they raised such fake alarm because the dredgers are sick and tied of their incessant levies and endless extortion.
In the words of a popular musician, "the person who said what I have done wrong against him has he said what he has done wrong against me'
These group of elders,complaining about the activities of miners in Umuoma, have they told the public hoe much they have milked these miners and continued to milk them without considering their plight.
It is a well known fact that there is no building around the Umudochie Otamiri and the roads are not too bad as painted by the writers, so why are they complaining.
What Is happening is as a result of envy, jealously and conspiracy to frustrate someone who is tired of extortion. They have extorted dredgers a lot and some of these dredgers are sick and tired of it. If the people kept mute and allowed continuity of the extortion, they wouldn't have gone to the press for such publication.
Those behind these publication are the same people who always come to dredgers like Ekete asking him to drop something, (money), or else they will shut down activities in the area. Can the likes of Ugochukwu Onyewe and his cohorts deny that he did not make such demand from Ekete and he told them is not possible because Mining is under the exclusive list.
In reality the problem is that the dredgers are sick and tired of their extortion and out to stop it.
From media interactions from some dredging companies, they disputed these claims, alleging that the council's actions are motivated by continuity for extortion and personal gain. They claim that the council has been demanding excessive levies and incentives, including cash payments and trips of sand, from the company ¹.
Dredgers in the area fingered those they refused to grease their palms, they also accused the council of spreading misinformation and fabricating allegations to justify their demands. They made it clear that there are no buildings or structures around the dredging site and that the roads are not as bad as described.
From findings, members of the same council have sold dredging sites to multiple parties and collected different levies. At the end when they express worry about incessant extortion of money from them they resort to mischievous publication and threat to stop them. Concerned dredgers have told all threatening them that mining is under the exclusive list of the federal government, and the council has no authority to shut down their operations.
Looking at the publication and issues raised, it calls for questions about the council's motives and the legitimacy of their actions.
To prove their evil motive, the Traditional Ruler, His Royal Highness Eze Morrison Ekeh and the two chairmen of the community in the person of Ifeanyi Chukwu Omeneji and Ugochukwu obilonu also were not aware of the publication
and not signatory to the open letter, showing it lacks the support of the monarch and community. Simply put is a gathering of envious and disgruntled element.
The decision of these elders to stop the dredging activities without the consent of the traditional ruler or the president general has been criticized as unilateral and lacking transparency.
The dredgers have always highlighted the need to champion greater Community Development Agreement with,productivity, accountability and transparency in community development projects but these folks are only interested in what enters their pocket.
According to reports with indisputable evidences, the dredgers, have been subjected to incessant levies and extortion by some members of these council of elders, their demands and ranging from trips of sand to cash incentives.
They claim that the council has sold dredging sites to multiple parties, including themselves, and are now trying to shut them down without the consent of the Traditional Ruler or President General.
When the miners starts to complain incessant extortion they will come up false alarm that the dredging activities are causing irreparable harm to the environment, including water pollution, soil erosion, destruction of their farmlands and water sources, which are critical to their livelihoods.
The million dollar question is this why was the Traditional Ruler and President General not consulted during and after the meeting or conscented on the publication for his signature in support of the shutdown
Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Ministry of Industry Mines and Solid Mineras should neglect the open letter, I have visited the scene in my capacity as a journalists, there is no building around the area,above all,the situation is tense or bad as painted in the publication.
Chuks Nwokeji; is the Imo State Chairman, Guild of Newspaper Reporters