Protest rocks Cross River community over mining, timber logging
Ani Bassey, Calabar
Youths in Bendeghe Affi community in Ikom local government area of Cross River State have protested against moves by a businessman c
Chief Henry Okechukwu, to commence exploitation of iron ore and timber logging in the community forest.
They carried placards with various inscriptions some of which read “We disagree with illegal stone mining of any form. “Chief Henry stop logging and mining of solid minerals of any form in Bendeghe Affi”
“Timber logging and mining would amount to destruction of our cocoa farms. One ton of cocoa is N3m whereas a ton of iron ore is N10, 000, 00, steer clear from our land. Cocoa remains mainstay of our economy”. The placards read.
The group spokesperson Comrade David Obi-Akong, said “Our chief, Chief Victor Tangban, told us that he has taken off his hands from anything that concerns mining.
“And that our community elders had also removed their hands from anything related to stone exploitation in our land having come to realization that cocoa is valuable than iron ore.
“As a people of Abanko- Olokpo , we have taken our decision against stone exploitation of any kind in our community.
“Anyone who had soiled his or her hands by collecting money to pave way for illegal mining or timber logging does so at his peril. Don’t destroy our cocoa farms in the name of mining or logging.
“ We thank God that a senior chief for our two villages of Abanko-Olokpo, chief Victor Tangban has told us that that his hands are clean regarding controversial mining and logging issue.
“This is why we are using this rare privilege to ask Chief Henry Okechukwu, not come close to our forest to destroy our common heritage which is cocoa and forest”, he said.
However in his reaction to allegations against him and his firm, Chief Henry Okechukwu said that the allegations are lies generated from the pit of hell.
“This is wickedness, I created that access road into the community.
“I constructed Opu- Batip bridge to link Bendeghe Affi –Opu road, that enable me to lift mining equipment to the mining sites in 2018″, he said.
He further posted that he genuinely obtained a incense from federal government to commence mining in the community.
