…Sand Miners Association said members are suffering huge financial losses due to repeated clampdowns on their equipment.
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Members of the Association of Riverine Sand Miners and Tipper Drivers, Anambra State chapter, on Friday staged a protest over alleged extortion, intimidation and multiple taxation by some state government agencies, particularly operatives of Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade.
OCHA Brigade is a state enforcement agency responsible for environmental sanitation.
The protesters, who gathered in large numbers at the premises of the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) in Onitsha, complained that despite possessing valid licences and clearances issued by the Federal Government, officials of Ogbaru, Oyi, Onitsha North and Onitsha South local government areas allegedly continue to extort them daily, even though sand mining falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
They marched around the area with placards bearing inscriptions such as: ‘OCHA Brigade stop sealing our beaches’, ‘Enough of double taxation, extortion and intimidation’, ‘OCHA Brigade is not Police, DSS or Civil Defence’, ‘Allow us to thrive in our business’, and ‘Our activities are legal, we are licensed sand miners’, among others.
Addressing journalists, the President of the Riverine Sand Miners Association, Sir Chris Mbaegbu, said members were suffering huge financial losses due to repeated clampdowns on their equipment.
According to him, although they recognise Onitsha South, Onitsha North, Oyi and Ogbaru as their host local government areas and pay approved dues, they were alarmed that the councils allegedly deploy state agencies like the OCHA Brigade to harass and extort them through multiple levies.
Mbaegbu warned that the association would no longer tolerate further harassment of its members, insisting that they are carrying out legitimate activities backed by federal licences.
He added that OCHA Brigade operatives recently invaded their work sites, seized about 20 tippers, loaders and excavators, and detained their owners, who allegedly paid between N300,000 and more for their release.
Also speaking, a sand miner, Mr Uche Okafor, alleged that the brigade sealed mining beaches along the River Niger, confiscated equipment and demanded millions of naira for their release, describing the action as an infringement on NIWA’s right-of-way.
He appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene to prevent undue hardship on those engaged in lawful businesses.
Similarly, the state Chairman of the Tipper Drivers Association, Chief Augustine Akigwe, described the situation as troubling, saying his members were repeatedly arrested and taxed despite paying approved levies.
Akigwe said drivers pay from N1,500 and above per trip and appealed to the governor to direct relevant agencies to stop multiple taxation and harassment. He disclosed that he had written to the governor, OCHA Brigade and the Managing Director of the Anambra State Solid Mineral Development Company Limited but received no clear direction.
Responding, the NIWA Area Manager, Onitsha Office, Sir Victor Nwokeocha, described the alleged actions of the state and local government officials as “reckless, irresponsible and nonchalant,” stressing that NIWA has exclusive statutory authority to regulate activities on inland waterways.
He urged Governor Soludo to rein in the agencies involved, noting that petitions had already been forwarded to relevant authorities and NIWA headquarters in Abuja for further action.
However, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of OCHA Brigade, Mr Celestine Anere, denied allegations of extortion and harassment, insisting that the agency only enforces environmental regulations.
Anere said OCHA Brigade targets operators who indiscriminately spill sand and water on roads, which he claimed damages road infrastructure, and advised sand miners and tipper drivers to register with the state government for payment of Internally Generated Revenue since they operate within Anambra State.
