Stop using taskforce to extort us - Sand miners warn NIWA 1
South East

Stop using taskforce to extort us – Sand miners warn NIWA

Anambra State chapter of Sand Miners Association has called on the Managing Director of National Inland Water Ways Authority, NIWA Chief George Moughalu to intervene over alleged harassment, intimidation and extortion by the Agency’s taskforce.

It called on the NIWA management to treat them as equal partners like their counterparts across the federation.

Speaking through its lawyer, Mr. Gerald Ezeuko, SAN, the association claimed that in the last three weeks NIWA has used its taskforce to seal off their sand excavation and selling pits in Onitsha, saying the action has led to a loss of over N700 million.

Ezeuko explained that apart from sealing off the sand excavation and selling pits, NIWA has allegedly demolished buildings belonging to his clients, as well as plotting to appropriate some parcel of land belonging to the landlords of the sand miners.

He said, “What NIWA has the right of way as spelt out in NIWA Act is the area of land along the waterway measuring 100 metres perpendicular from the edge of the channel.

“The Federal Government does not own any land in any state of the federation, rather it is the states that own the land in their states.

“What NIWA has at the shore lines is right of way to the water ways and not the landlord to the sand miners. Right of way does not amount to ownership of land; they should therefore stop converting individual properties along water front in Onitsha into their own.

“In fact in the previous years, they posted the same sign post in front Waterside Hospital and Maternity, but the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha, took them to court and I was their lawyer and we won that case.

“NIWA is in its abuse of the right created under NIWA Act, which is right of way, the highest right created under NIWA Act, they have been intimidating and harassing my clients both landlords and their tenants.

“All we are asking for is for NIWA to treat the Onitsha sand miners and their landlords the same way their counterparts in Lokoja, Logos and other states, where NIWA have offices across the federation, are treated.”

Reacting to the allegations, NIWA Area Manager, in charge Onitsha, Mrs. Queen Uba said NIWA sealed the pit of the sand miners who refused to pay N375, 000 they were asked to pay to enable the authority to repair the shore line they allegedly damaged.

She said, “The N375, 000 is not to rip off anybody as some are complaining, anybody who is not willing to pay should vacate the pit, the work we want to carry out is for their own benefit. We even told them that the money could be paid in installments.

“Some of them have paid and they were given receipts. It is a management decision. Whoever that is not ready to pay should leave the pit.

“We destroyed the shanties there because they were hideouts for criminals. The hazard there was much, we cannot allow criminals to take over our shore lines, those who are complaining don’t want to be regulated, they have been abusing the place.”