🟢Call For Immediate And Prompt Action By Government
Following huge environmental challenges bedevilling Umudoche community in Umuoma Nekede Autonomous community in Owerri West local government area of Imo State Nigeria, Joint Council of Elders, office of the Elders council has issued out a serious warning restricting all firms of mining cum dredging activities in Otamiri Umudoche forthwith.
The restriction included all forms of dredging, mining, loading of tippers and their workers in Otamiri Umudoche. The public warning signal reads:
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

JOINT COUNCIL OF ELDERS UMUDOCHE, OFFICE OF THE ELDERS COUNCIL
ATTN: RESTRICTION ON THE ACTIVITIES OF ALL DREDGING COMPANIES, TIPPER OPERATORS AND LOADERS IN OTAMIRI UMUDOCHE UMUOMA NEKEDE OWERRI WEST LGA
It has come to the notice of the Joint Council Of Elders, Umudoche (J.C.E.U), the high level of devastation , degradation and pollution ravaging Umudoche Umuoma Nekede, caused by continuous mining and dredging of sand from Otamiri River in the area.
The mining of sand has persistently continued across Otamiri Umudoche, after several warnings by both the Federal Ministry of Mines and that of the Imo State Ministry of Mines and Environment to all the dredging firms to seize work.
Recall that Government has issued several warnings to dredging firms , companies, workers at Otamiri Umudoche Umuoma Nekede to stop work at non minable sites because of surrounding devastation, destruction, pollution and environmental degradation in the community.
Regrettably, miners returned to sites across Otamiri Umudoche River without recourse to humongous destruction of people’s Houses and the Community Land. Many roads in the area including residential houses, landed properties are seriously affected and some have collapsed as a result of devastating erosion while the remaining ones are in terrible condition.
The Joint Council of Elders Umudoche hereby caution miners to stop work with immediate effect to save the land. They also called for immediate security intervention from Imo State Government.
The Joint Elders of Umudoche further uses this medium to alert security agencies, DSS, Police, Vigilante groups, Office of the Commissioner for Environment & Mines and other relevant Government Task Force agents saddled with this responsibility to take necessary and prompt action.
To before warned is to before armed.

Signed:
Elder Boniface Obiyor
(Chairman)
Elder Solomon Amadi
(Secretary General)
Joint Council Of Elders, Umudoche Umuoma Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area.
