By Jude Michael
Sand miners in Onitsha, Anambra State, have protested alleged extortion by Anambra State Government, insisting they are only answerable to the federal government through the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
About 200 members of the Onitsha Sand Miners Association who held a protest within the premises of NIWA, close to River Niger, displayed placards with various inscriptions, insisting they had met the obligations of the federal government whom they described as their landlord.
The miners who majorly consist of tipper drivers, said despite obtaining relevant documents from NIWA, a federal government agency in charge of mining within River Niger, a state government agency, Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, also known as OCHA Brigade, had been harassing and extorting them.
The President of Onitsha Sand Miners Association, Mr Christopher Mbaegbu, who addressed journalists immediately after the protest, said the state government agency had become a thorn in their flesh.
‘We are here today to complain about the incessant harassment we get from members of OCHA Brigade, who come to the mining site at will and disrupt our operations and also arrest and impound our tippers.
‘We came here so that the Area Manager of NIWA, Mr Victor Nwokeocha, will hear our cry. We have relevant documents from NIWA which support and empower our operations, but we have been constantly harassed and arrested by this state government agency, OCHA Brigade.
‘Every day we are running, we are being hounded. A week today they came and took about 20 tippers, pay loaders, trucks and other equipment. They arrested our workers and kept them for two days.
‘So we decided to hold this protest to ask NIWA if the documents they gave us is fake so that we will know if we will withdraw from applying to NIWA and follow OCHA Brigade.
‘We met all the requirements before NIWA and federal government gave us right of way to mine here, but every day we are in trouble with OCHA Brigade. We are not happy over this. Our members who were arrested were bailed with over N1 million and our equipment are still there.’
The placards wielded by the protesters asked if they were answerable to the federal government or to state. They also alleged that they were extorted over N7, 000 per trip by OCHA Brigade operatives without receipt, while also begging the state governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, to caution the Managing Director/CEO of the Anambra State Solid Minerals Development Company Limited (ASSMDCL), Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, who they accused of colluding to extort them.
The Managing Director of OCHA Brigade, Mr Celestine Anere, in his reaction to most of the allegations, said the matter was between the miners and ASSMDCL, who insisted the miners must be registered.
He said: ‘We have asked them to get registered, and the issue is between them and Prof Ofoegbu. They have held meetings with him and all that is needed is for them to register with the state government.’
