… As Ugboba Community Continues To Canvass For Urgent, Proper Flood Channelling

By Patrick Ochei

It is no longer news that Ugboba, Ukwu-Nzu and Obomkpa – three communities in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State are faced with imminent ecological disaster if something urgent and proper is not done. This environmentally threatening danger has always been here until the NEWMAP came in to control its effect, but unfortunately, it turned out to have seemingly failed due to improper discharge of the flood water.

This is not an assumption, it is an acknowledged fact, even by the Government which has done its own investigation overtime and had assured to intervene to address the impending danger.

However, there has been allusion of land vibrations from blastings at the coal mining site in Ugboba and movement of coal carrying trucks as causes of the new and massive gully erosion now threatening the three communities. Against this background, a team of journalists decided to visit the terrain for a fact finding investigation.

Meanwhile, what was discovered was too glaring to be twisted as the truth of the matter. The obvious remains that the NEWMAP project seemingly failed to properly discharge the quantum of water coming from the three communities into a nearby river; but instead, terminated its discharge point halfway, thereby channelling the water into the bush. The overtime pressure had then developed into what is now a big gully from the NEWMAP project point of discharge.

Speaking to the newsmen at the gully erosion site was the Secretary of Ugboba Development Union, Chief Otobo Ofili, who gave a detailed information as regards the environment and possible cause of the gully in his response to questions by the journalists.

According to him, “The purpose of talking to you is to put the record straight and to debunk the false information by the President General of Obomkpa Development Union to the media. This gully as you can see used to be a flat ground. It was created by the failed NEWMAP project.

“Before this time, NEWMAP carried out a project around here, which was to address the threat of ecological disaster in this environment. It was after the job was done that we noticed the discharge point here, instead of channelling the flood water into a natural flow like a river. And of course, there is a stream not far from this point.

“So it was the quantum of flood coming from Obomkpa, Ugboba and Ukwu-Nzu that created this gully from the discharge point of the NEWMAP project. Even the stones used for the erosion control caved in and that started to affect the road.

“Again, I will like to use this medium to correct the erroneous impression created by the Obomkpa PG that this gully site belongs to Obomkpa. It’s a lie, even though the land had been in dispute. This road is the natural demarcation between the two communities – while Ugboba is on the right, Obomkpa is on the left, both facing towards Ukwu-Nzu. They should not try to suppress us because of our small size.

“You can also go to see the mining site which is very far from the gully site. The mining activity has nothing to do with this gully which is purely a result of a failed NEWMAP project. You can see that this is purely a result of the uncontrolled water coming from Ugboba, Obomkpa and Ukwu-Nzu, which NEWMAP wrongly discharged here instead of being channelled into a natural flowing stream.

“Besides, having noticed this impending ecological disaster, our highly revered king started reaching out to government long ago. One of such instances was the letter written to the Governor in February this year, which has been acknowledged. The Governor through the SSG is putting all modalities in place for Government to address the challenge. This effort should be applauded and supported for the benefit of the three affected communities, rather than this endless accusations that the mining activity was responsible for the gully and damaged road. Initially, they had said the mining was causing water pollution, then again that the mining company was operating an underground tunnel, and now they have resorted to claiming that there was ground vibration due to blasting with dynamite, thereby resulting to this gully.

“We should be better than this; all we should be talking about is how to collectively and collaboratively seek solution to this ecological disaster, rather than blame games”, Chief Ofili explained.

To further ascertain the authenticity of the alleged comment by the PG of Obomkpa Development Union in a recent interview at the same spot, claiming that the coal mining company was doing blasting, thereby causing ground vibration that resulted in the gully; we decided to also visit the coal mining site at Ugboba for confirmation.

At the coal mining site operated by Mosra Energy, we met with the Senior Mining Engineer, Obadun Kayode Lawrence who denied that the company does blasting to mine coal or operates underground tunnel. Besides not noticing anything that suggested such claims at the mining site, we nonetheless, spoke with the Engineers for further confirmation.

In his response, Engr. Obadun explained the process of mining, which he said is purely modern method. He added that the type of mining done at Ugboba does not require blasting or the use of tunnel, because Ugboba has soft soil which enables the company to do open cast system of mining.

He further narrated the process of mining which includes removal of the overburden (top soil) first, then extracting the coal, after which the reclamation of the soil begins for future agricultural purposes.

“Our mining here in Ugboba has no effect on the land or farming activity. It has nothing to do with ground vibration. The open cast is a modern mining system which is operational in developed countries like Canada, UK and others. We don’t do blasting or operate tunnels. Even the cost of buying dynamites is more than the gains of the coal, which invariably invalidates the claim of these people “, Obadun posited.