… As residents seek govt. intervention

Indigenes and residents of Iriamogu Village in Dindi-Ihiagwa Autonomous Community, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State, have appealed to the Imo State Government to urgently intervene in what they described as the devastating environmental impact of dredging activities at the Otammiri River waterfront.

They also expressed fears that the continued degradation could endanger lives and pose serious threat to a national electricity grid located within the community.

The concerns were raised weekend, when journalists and members of a civil society group visited the community on a fact-finding mission to assess the reported environmental damage and interact with affected community leaders and residents.

Speaking during the visit, the President General of Iriamogu Development Union, Mr. Joseph Oforegbu, decried the activities of dredgers in the community, describing the alleged level of environmental degradation as unacceptable.

Oforegbu warned that the situation could trigger violent protests if urgent steps were not taken to address the grievances of the community, particularly the youths, who he said were becoming increasingly agitated.

He appealed to the Imo State Government to intervene immediately, stressing that the community leadership might no longer be able to contain the growing anger and frustration among the youths.

Also speaking, the village Deputy President General, Youth Leader and Youth Secretary, Mr. Mbawuike Christian, Mr. Ugochukwu Aharanwa and Mr. Chukwueke Chika, expressed gratitude to the visiting journalists and civil society advocates for undertaking what they described as a social responsibility initiative aimed at drawing attention to the plight of the community.

The community people accused one, Marine Dredging Company of causing massive environmental degradation through its activities in the area, adding that large portion of their lands, roads and other infrastructure had been destroyed, while properties and farmlands lost.

They disclosed that the village had concluded plans to embark on a peaceful protest to the State Government House, Owerri, and other relevant government offices over the activities of miners in the area.

According to Mbawuike, “several attempts by the community to engage the management of Marine Dredging Company over the devastating consequences of its operations had failed to yield positive results.”

They alleged that rather than address the concerns raised by the community and comply with relevant environmental requirements, including provisions of the Mining Act relating to Environmental Impact Assessment, the company allegedly resorted to using personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to intimidate villagers.

“Dredging activities have been going on for some time now, but we had to draw the attention of the dredgers when we realized the devastating effect of such activity in our area. Unfortunately, they have shown no concern about the consequences of their mining activities in our village,” Aharanwa said.

They further alleged that the company had continued its operations despite the Imo State Government ban on dredging activities within an 18-kilometre radius of the state capital, a restriction he said covered Iriamogu Village and the entire Ihiagwa area.

They recalled that the Imo State Ministry of Industry, Mines and Solid Minerals had also earlier intervened by blocking the access road to the dredging site to prevent trucks from accessing the area.

Mbawuike and others, however, alleged that the measure did not stop the activities, adding that barricades subsequently erected by villagers were allegedly removed by NSCDC officials whom he accused of acting in favour of the dredging company.

They also called for a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment of the affected area and urged relevant authorities to scrutinize the operating licence of the Marine Dredging Company to ascertain the exact scope and location covered by its approval.