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By Dada Ahmed in Awo Akpali.
The people of Awo Apkali and eight other communities in Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi state are now facing health risk due to what they attributed to coal mining by Dangote Mining Company Ltd in Awo Akpali village.
The Chairman, Awo Akpali Community Development Association,(ACDA), Mr Ogochogu Marcus Ochigbo,disclosed this on Monday while receiving the Patron of Ethical Values Compliance Corps in the state, Hon.Tijani Isah Abdullahi in the village.
A correspondent of The Reporters, an online publication, reports the patron, the Commander of the Corps in the state, Mr Okpanachi Timothy and two other officers of the Corps were in the village on a meeting.
Dr Serah Jubrin, founder, Ethics &Values Compliance Corps.
Th were also in the village to feel the pause of the stakeholders of Awo Akpali, to know their assesment of the company in terms of its Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) to its host Community.
Ogchibo put the rate ofCS C of the company to the community at 30 per cent, adding that “we deserve more than this, in view of the enormous coal mining activities being carried out by the company.”
The chairman, who described coal as a vital component of energy generation, however, expressed concern that the exploration of the coal had led to the pollution of the river serving the community and eight villages in the environs.
According to him, the only grace for the residents of Awo Akpali is the only borehole, constructed by a Rev.Father for his father and which he magnanimously extended to the people.
He disclosed that though the constructed motorised borehole for the community, the borehole had broken down while efforts to repair remained a mirage.
The chairman further disclosed that inspite of the fact that Awo Akpali was the host community to the company, it had not deemed it fit to employ any of skilled citizen of the village, adding however that many unskilled members of the village were given jobs in the company as casual workers.
According to him, the health centre started by company which is supposed to be completed and hand over to the cimmcommunity on December 26,2020, is yet to be completed.
Ochibo,who said that though the company gave N1 million to the village, annually,as scholarship to its indigenes to further their education, the money was grossly inadequate,called on the company award the reasonable scholarship to each student.
He also called on the company to fulfill its promise of empowering the people of the village through revolving loans, award contracts to some of them and demolish of the heaps of coal which could pose health hazards to the people of the area in future.
Reacting to the people’s complaints, the patron of the Corps, described the pollution of the river, as claimed by the people, as most unfortunate, adding that the health of the people was of paramount concern to the founder of the Corps, Dr Sera Jubrin.
- He expressed the determination of the founder of the Corps to ensure that the people the issue of water pollution becomes a history, as soon as possible.
He promised to convey the people’s complaints and demands to the management of the company for timely solution, to arrest its health and ensure harmonious relationship between the company and the host Community.
Hon.Abdullahi, who visited the said river and noticed that it has turned brown, described the development as unacceptable, adding that the problem remain a potential danger to public health, if not solved on time.
The patron, a one-time Commissioner for Commerce and Industry in kogi state, said that the Corps, being an ethical oriented organization, would not fold its arms to see the kind of development going in the village thrive, in the interest of social justice.
Also commenting, the Commander of the Corps, expressed the determination of the Corps to ensure that the people of the village receive the desired corporate social responsibility from the company.
He stressed that companies exploring natural resources in any community in the state must comply with the principle of CSR to their host communities.
Our reporter, who was among the entourage of the Corps to village, reports that the Corps reports that some women and children were seen making use of the polluted water.
