Ebonyi Assembly cautions Royal Salt Company over alleged use of military men to subdue indigenes

……Decries huge destruction of farmlands

By Egede Ike, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petition, Justice and Judiciary has cautioned First Patriot Company formally known as Royal Salt Company limited over alleged damages and insensibility metered on the people of Enyim Agelegu Ndufu Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.

The committee paid on the spot assessment to Enyim Agelegu Ndufu Alike in Ikwo Local Government Area following a series of petitions of willful damages and breach of contract agreement filed against the First Patriot Company formerly known as Royal Salt Company limited.

In petitions written to the Committee by the Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Mr. Romanus Okemini Nwakpu and Elder Clement Mgbebu Ede, they lamented the high handedness of the management of First Patriot Company as its blasting activities always left them in agony of material and human loss.

They equally expressed dissatisfaction on the way the company has been using military men to subdue their complaints in the face of the destruction of their farmlands, buildings and properties including the poisoning by the exhumed minerals which has left so many people dead.

The people then resolved that in as much as the company is no more beneficial to them as envisaged , they should leave their land.

The Catholic Priest in-charge of Holy Rosary Catholic Church Rev. Fr. Augustine Ovia said the damages done to the church building has rendered it unsafe for worshipers again as all the walls and roofings have been either cracked or carved in.

The House Committee on Public Petition, Justice and Judiciary therefore went to the village to ascertain the level of damages and to validate the claims of the petitioners.

The chairman of the committee, Innocent Chikaodili Nomeh representing Ezza North West lamented the extent of the damages done to the farmlands and buildings most especially the church which is just a stone throw from the blasting site.

Hon. Nomeh said that from the scenes on ground, the First Patriot Company has failed in providing the safety measures as contained in the Mining Act and has not fulfilled its obligations to the host community but rather decided to turn a deaf ear to their plights.

The House Committee Chairman maintained that he met a suffocating situation on the ground, where the mining activists by the company had rendered the majority of the villagers homeless and subjected them into perpetual fear.

Hon Nomeh urged the villagers to maintain peace and remain calm that the Government of Ebonyi State under the able leadership of our God given Governor, Rt. Hon Bldr. Ogbonna Nwifuru shall find a lasting solution to their problem.

Equally, Ifeanyi Nwakpa representing Ikwo North Constituency in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly and from the area said that efforts have been taken on personal grounds for the company to ameliorate the sufferings of the people but the plea was turned down and he assured affected people that the committee on public petition, Justice and judiciary will do justice to them

Other victims involved including Mr. Romanus Okemini Nwakpu and Clement Mgbebu Ede said their buildings have been shattered to the foundation and all efforts to make the company obligated to the repairs have failed. They appealed to the committee to help them out by making the company do the needful.

When the Liaison officer to the Company, Mr. Marcilenus Chukwu Joshua was contacted, he said that the company Is good at dribbling them as both farmlands and buildings have been destroyed while the Town Union President of Enyim Agalegu, Mr. Oboke Chukwu said that the company is not straight forward in its dealings with the host community and requested that the company should quit the village

The House Committee on Public petition, Justice and Judiciary then made an appeal to the community to remain calm and be law abiding as efforts will be geared towards making the company heed to their complaints, while the committee issued an instant warrant of arrest for the Director of the company Mr. Obia Alio as he has refused to appear before the committee on several invitations.

The Committee also visited Obegu Omege and Amaenyim villages where the duo is having a land dispute and assured that having identified the areas in dispute, the committee will proffer solution to the problem.