Federal Controller, Min Of Environment Issues Strict Warning To Miners – Gives Seven Days Grace Period To Shutdown Sites

IMO: The Federal Controller Ministry of Environment, Imo State Field office Owerri, Engr Ubor Ubo has warned all the miners in Imo state to stop work in total compliance to the Federal Government ultimatum on ban of mining sites that falls within the range of 10km radius of bridges, roads and infrastructures nationwide.

The shutdown will also affect all miners in accordance to the mining àct section 119 which makes it mandatory for all miners to carry out environment impact assessment and obtain certification from the ministry of environment before commencement of any mining or evacuation operation.

The shutdown is mandatory inline with the EIA act of 2024 (cap 12) which gives a legal backing for defaulters to pay fines and penalties or forfeiture of equipments.

Federal Controller Ubor noted with dismay the high level of dangers of environmental hazard and erosion menace caused by incessant mining across the state and warned for total shutdown, starting with Umudoche Umuoma Nekede mining locations and others.

He added that strict compliance and regulations must be put in place by the Environment Ministry and its affiliate ministries and agencies to assist the Shared Prosperity Administration under His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma CON to seal mining sites to enable government function efficiently in reducing looming environmental devastation caused by illegal mining in the state.

Speaking to newsmen at an assessment inspection tour of Otamiri Umudoche in Nekede Owerri West local government area of Imo state Nigeria, controller Ubor warned the sand miners in the area to present the official required impact assessment certification and mining license issued by the accredited ministry, within the space of seven days of this publication.

Accompanied by the Council of Elders of Umudoche Umuoma Nekede, community leaders and some stakeholders in the neighborhood, controller Ubor frowned at the high level of destruction of the ecosystem and the entire community as a result of illegal mining going on in the area.

Touring the mining site from Mmiri Nkwoahia axis to ama MMIRI Umudoche, Engr Ubor condemned sand mining from the stream adding that the culvert at Umuezerokam Nekede number twelve axis that connects the Three Autonomous communities of Umuoma, Umudibia and Ancient kingdom in Nekede is at dare risk of collapse.

He advised that immediate construction measures can be put in place to save the culvert (not bridge) from possible collapse because of the pressure of erosion discharge at the culvert. The dredging cum mining activities have contributed to such a disaster and caused the collapsed of people’s buildings seen within the area at the time of impact assessment tour by ministry of environment in Nekede Friday afternoon.

Adding that all the miners in Umudoche Umuoma Nekede and other neighboring communities in the area are illegal on the basis that the license of authorized miners in the area are withdrawn by FG till the time of filling this report, controller Ubor warned miners to stop work forthwith or be ready to face the full weight of law.

He further hinted the community that all the miners in Otamiri Umudoche via the streams in the area are illegal. Accordingly, “the area sublets of one license which has been withdrawn by Federal environmental because of shady mining deals observed in the mining business.

“Letters must be issued to all the miners to shutdown sites and come to the Ministry of Environment for official documentation, checks and balances mostly as it concerns impact assessment approval.

“The damages are much on the environment and we are not going to keep quiet sitting on the fence to watch the entire ecosystem collapse. It is out of ethics.

“Houses and properties affected by erosion menace as a result of mining activities in the neighborhoods have to be identified and resented as claims, the controller stated.

Umudoche Nekede community thanked the officials of Federal Ministry of Environment and the facilitators of their visit to Otamiri Umudoche to access the damages illegal mining has caused the community while calling on total shutdown pending further resolution, terms and conditions.

The elders of the area have several times reeled out reasons for total shutdown which included serious erosion menace, effect on Houses within the area, wearing off of building basements, bad roads, collapse of link pedestrian bridge, pollution and the worst is mining from upland which is unapproved and unacceptable.

It is therefore legal and due to shutdown mining site without official license which Umudoche community are calling on Ministry of Environment to effect prompt action, shutdown sites and proceed for litigation without further delay to douse the alarming tension of alleged romance between the miners and some agents of the ministry.

“The seven days ultimatum is a grace period for accreditation and checks of mining license together with impact assessment. The ministry therefore frowned at the devastation caused by mining activities in Umudoche, Nekede, Owerri , okigwe and several other locations across the state and warned for total shutdown.

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