Enugu Govt Seals Ogbakiri- Ugwogo Coal Mining Site Nkpologu, Warns Operators
Enugu State Government has sealed
Ogbakiri- Ugwogo illegal coal mining site Mkpunato, Nkpologu, in Uzo-Uwanu Local Government Area of the state, warning operators to desist from the illegal operations or face the the law.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Energy and Mineral Resources, Dr Kingsley Nnaji, gave the warning after sealing the site . Nnaji warned that no mining activity should take place there until the operators come to the office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Energy and Mineral Resources to validate their documents.
He said, ” We are sealing this site and leaving a warning here that no mining operation will take place until the operators come to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to validate their documents. So, this site is sealed until they come and identify themselves.We are a combined team of the officials of the Ministry of Environment and officials of Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources”,he said.
Nnaji handed over the security of the site to Ezeugwu Alphonsus, leader of a local vigilante group in the town, and asked him not to allow the operators to carry out any activity there until they come for validation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. He added that if they failed to do that and still continued with the illegal mining at the site, they will be arrested, prosecuted and their equipment will be confiscated, “there is a court order to that effect”, Nnaji emphasised.
He told Ezeugwu to tell the operators not to remove the seal.
No arrest was made as operators were not met at the site.
PUBLISHER- SAM UDEKWE.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
