A civil rights group, International Society for Civil Rights and Rule of Law (Intersociety) at the weekend raised an alarm over devastating ecological disaster and emerging gullies created by activities of alleged illegal miners at Umudimisii-Umuoru, Uga Community in Aguata local government area of Anambra State.

The  group called on the Anambra State government to order the immediate stop to the mining activities at Umudimisii  quarters so as not to further aggravate the already deplorable condition of the area owing to gully erosion problems.

In a petition to Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo through the State Commissioner for Environment onbehalf of the community, the group claimed that the indiscriminate and unregulated sand excavation activities  had allegedly claimed at least ten lives in ten years, submerged dozens of buildings, threatened lives and dwelling homes of thousands of other affluent and downtrodden dwellers and dangerously itching  towards the recently completed Obizi-Uga water scheme road in the community.

The petition signed by the  Head, Intersociety, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Human Rights Lawyers, Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, said; “With utmost regard and humility, we the people of Umudimisii Quarter of Umuoru Village, Uga in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State write to bring to the notice of your hallowed office the environmental problems/hazards posed directly to the people of Umudimisii and by extension to the generality of Uga people and neighbouring communities of Uga Town owing to unregulated sand mining activities that have  been going on in Umudimisii  for a long while now which if not brought to an abrupt and final end as a matter of urgency would in the course of time result into an uncontrollable and massively expanding gully erosion posing existential threat to the areas above mentioned and her people.

“Many homesteads in Umudimisii are close to and along the line of the mining by few metres. The homesteads as a result stand to be eroded in the course of this ecological problem fueled by unregulated sand mining. Erosion menace is being triggered by human factor of unregulated sand mining especially as it is in Aguata-Orumba axis where the sand structure is prone to erosion which is the major environmental hazard in the region.

“The Nkwo-Obizi Road and St. James-Ugwunwocha-Obizi Road Project which the Solution Government recently completed in Uga are now prone to imminent failure/damage due to this unregulated sand mining activities.  Affluent individuals from Umudimisii mindful of the massive sand mining activities going on in the area would not readily avail their support towards new road projects in the area (as it is done in other communities) only for it be damaged soon thereafter by heavy duty trucks that convey truckloads of sand from the mining site”, the petition said

It further alleged that sand mining activities in Umudimisii had been the major source of all crises in Umudmisii Quarter, Umuoru Village and Uga generally.

It named two individuals who deal on motor and mining businesses as responsible for the illegal activities, adding that due to the devastating gully erosion threatening Umudimisii, people hardly locate their businesses within the locality thereby making the place dead economically.

“This sand mining seems an attractive venture to our youths due to the quick money it brings. For this reason, one hardly finds our youth learning any meaningful skill, especially life-long skills capable of sustaining them all through their lives.

“So long sand mining is allowed to continue at the mining site in Umudimisii, we would in the near future turn out a generation of adults who have no skills or sustainable means of livelihood that may resort to crime to make ends meet”, it stated

The group urged the state government to direct the appropriate agency capable of handling ecological problem of such nature and magnitude  to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the Umudimisii erosion problem and come up with  suggestions on how to  end it.

It urged that thorough investigations into the entire activities  should include those remotely and openly including Government agents, private individuals and their cartels or firms and prosecute those found culpable, for engaging in such unlawful activities outside the ‘Community Development Agreements’ and the ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’.

It urged that the area should  be prevented  from being turned into solid mineral rooted youth militancy, banditry and clan warlord-ship now or in future.

” Finally, may it please your Excellency, the Olu-Atu-Egwu Ndi Anambra, to come to our rescue by granting our prayers above”, they  pleaded

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Environment, Myclem Aguiyi, had promised that the government would look into the appeal, even as he described the alleged ongoing mining activities as “illegal”.

“The Mining Reform Committee had on several occasions taken steps to halt all Mining activities in Uga. At the moment whatever Mining going on there is illegal”, he stated.