By Chris Anucha…
Residents of Naze in Owerri North LGAs have expressed concern over the activities of some youths, who are illegally excavating sand inside the premises of Naze Secondary School, thereby creating a very deep and dangerous burrow-pit inside the school.
According to some concerned residents, the dangerous burrow-pit poses danger to the students, under aged children and the school’s buildings.
Besides, they are also afraid that some persons could see the burrow-pit as a dumping ground for refuse, including dead bodies. Some of them told STATESMAN that some criminal elements could also use the burrow-pit as a hideout, after carrying out their criminal activities elsewhere.
They, therefore, called for speedy investigation and intervention by the Imo State Ministry of Education, the Secondary Education Management Board and Imo State Environment Transformation Council (ENTRACO), among other relevant authorities.
Speaking to STATESMAN on the ugly development, a native of Umuakali Naze and concerned mother, Barrister (Mrs) Hope Ugboku Bendaniyah, disclosed that the illegal, massive sand excavation going on inside Naze Secondary School, if not checked, could result in disaster, as well as lead to high rate of crime in Naze and the neighbouring communities or towns.
She also appealed to Owerri North Town Planning Authority, Owerri Capital Development Authority, Imo State Ministry of Health/Health Management Board and other relevant agencies of government to wade in urgently.
Hear her: “The most agonizing thing about this dangerous burrow-pit is that, it is situated right in the middle of human habitations in the community, with very close proximity to residential houses.”
“We, the residents within its closest proximities feel most concerned because, we now leave in terror and agony, in anticipation of the dangers and negative consequences of this monster in the nearest future and during rainy seasons, which range from the dangers resulting from massive flood that may carry off our under aged children, the very old, and the sickly into this pit of death, to the dangerous gullies and subsequent landslides, to the detriment of surrounding buildings and roads that will surely be.”
Barrister Bendaniyah, who is also the State Legal Adviser to many APC women and non women groups in Imo State, insisted that the burrow-pit would fast become a paradise of convenience for lazy refuse disposers.
“Criminal elements will convert it into a past and convenient way of disposing criminally murdered corpses, aborted fetus and unwanted children, born to prostitutes and irresponsible mothers, students of the school will also have their own fair shares of troubles in all these hazards enumerated,” she further told the reporter.
Findings, however, revealed that the burrow-pit, where sand is excavated for the on-going road construction project of the old Owerri-Aba Road, is now abnormally deep and dangerously encroaching into Naze Secondary School premises because of the nefarious activities of some individuals, who are diverting the excavated sand from the burrow-pit for their private/ personal uses. It was discovered that some persons, with the backing of some politicians in the area are excavating the sand for sale, thereby, endangering the lives of persons and buildings in the vicinity.
For instance, there is allegation that a youth leader in the area is seriously involved in the illegal excavation of sand from the burrow-pit for sales.
According a source, money made from the excavated sand is shared between the youth Leader and his alleged political godfathers.
Other residents, who spoke to the reporter on condition of anonymity disclosed how the area where the burrow-pit is sited, had been in contention between Umuakali and Umuosu villages.
They also alleged that some of the remote reasons for sitting the burrow-pit is to use it to alienate some portions of the school land, by some influential natives and subsequently, annex such alienated portions for sale and conversion into personal enterprises.
They also appealed to Governor Uzodimma to wade into the illegal, personal excavation of sand from the burrow-pit inside Naze Secondary School to forestall future crisis and calamity.
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