ANAMBRA STATE: - Umuchu Solid Minerals and Illegal Mining...By Sixtus Ezennaya

It is no longer a mere speculation that Umuchu in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State has in commercial quantity solid Mineral deposits but what is not yet clear is what the mineral deposits are. Whoever has passed along the new and ever busy Umunze-Umuchu-Uga-Igbokwu highway precisely at Ibughubu-Umuchu near Agho River (the natural boundary of Umuchu and Umunze) will see people of various sizes and ethnic groups in the mining sites scooping and excavating the products. Most of the time, the minerals are loaded in trailers at night and taken to unknown destinations.


Some of my discussants at the site alleged that the vehicles headed towards Umuahia, Abia State, while others claimed that Northerners also came for the products. The astonishing and funniest aspects of it are that the trailers for loading of these minerals are usually hidden outside the site of the mining to eclipse the activities of these illegal miners from the notice of eagle-eyed Government agents. My investigations to know what the minerals are led me into taking some raw samples to laymen Chemical Dealers and opinions were divided as to their use. The minerals are suspected to be Barite, Bentonite, Clay, Iron-ore, and Lignite according to them used in the production of Paint, Steel and Cement or in the drilling of Water Borehole. However, the pure laboratory analysis is still underway.


Much as the discovery of the minerals in the area is a blessing at least to help open up the 20-village Community sharing common borders with Arondizuogu, Ibinta, Umualaoma and Akokwa all in Imo State, Uga, Amesi, Achina, Enugu Umuonyia, Umuomaku, Ezira and Umunze all in Anambra State, the illegal mining business needs to be drawn to the attention of the State Ministry of Solid Minerals (if there is any), Federal Ministry of Solid Minerals and Senate Committee for Solid Mineral for proper and organized harnessing. This is why the prompt intervention with security agents of HRH Igwe G. O. Ezechukwu of Umuchu on Tuesday 16th October 2006 is applauded and most welcomed. The rat does not steal something from one who is awake but only from one asleep. But, then let the foray on these illegal miners not be a goldmine for members of the Nigerian Police Force.


The fact that oil boom has beclouded the visions of many States in Nigeria culminating into laissez-faire attitude or total abandonment of other sources of revenue should not be allowed to befall Anambra State. In as much as the lion feeds on goat, sheep, and other bigger animals, it does not turn blind eye to termites, rodents, grasshoppers, and locusts. In fact, it also picks them.


Nasarawa State has no oil deposit but Solid Minerals are her major export. It is from this God given endowment as augment to Federal Allocations from oil that she pays workers salaries, funds her State University and Polytechnics besides infrastructural development. In fact, the study of Geography in the Primary and Secondary Schools made us known that the whole Northern State of Nigeria are naturally endowed with Solid Minerals consequently none of these states jokes with these minerals. Little wonder why standing among those found in the illegal mining site at Umuchu were people with Caftan or Agbada dress and “Shagari” Cap suspected to be Northerners.



The Ebony State Government gets much revenue from the sales of “Stone-Chippings and Stone-Quarry Industries” at Ishiagu and Afikpo as the Solid Mineral is used in building and road constructions. Glass Industries make use of even sand as one of their major raw materials hence the State Governments of Lagos, Delta, Abia etc where these Industries are located do tax them heavily for the use of the “Solid Mineral.” Could it be true that Anambra State Government plays “Father Christmas” to excavation of sand commercially at Rivers Niger and Anambra or simply put; who do the tax-agents collecting dues from these excavators account to ? Why the natural resources of Anambra State should be treated like the property of one who has joined his ancestors, “No Man’s land” or “Tax-Free Dubai” is supposed to give concern to all and sundry. The Government should place “CAVEAT EMPTOR” on the activities of these illegal miners at Ibughubu-Umuchu and go ahead to set up machinery to do the appropriate thing to these mineral deposits. If Government intervention is further delayed, gully erosion is imminent which is likely to threaten the highway. In the words of Seneca, “He who does not forbid sin when he can, encourages it” (Qui non vetat peccare cum posit jubet). The continued activities of the illegal miners are hinged on the presumed inactivity of the Anambra State Government in the past, as nature abhors vacuum. According to one of the illegal miners who claimed to be an unemployed graduate of University of Maiduguri, “Why I do not look back while dealing with a widow is because I known very well, the destination of the husband.”


Apart from these particular mineral sites at Ibughubu-Umuchu, Government of Anambra State searchlight should be beamed on deposits of minerals in other places in the State. Available data show that Clays are found in Ukpor, Okija, Ozubulu, Aguleri, Ihembosi, Enugwu Ukwu, Ihiala, Omor, Umuchu and Umunze. Lignite is in large quantity at Nnewi, Oba and Ozubulu. Sand and Sandstone: Nando, Ukpor, Obosi, Onitsha (River Niger), Otuocha and Oyi. Substantial quantities of Ironstone are found in Umuchu, Nnewi, Abor, Aguleri, Ogbunka and Owerre Ezukala. Gypsum: Awka and Onitsha. Bentonite: Awka. Pyrite: Onitsha and Nsugbe. Coal exists in commercial quantity at Owerre Ezukala. Federal Government should make haste to start drilling other oil wells located variously at Alo, Igbariam, Anam, Aguleri, Ogbaru etc. The issue of boundary disputes between Atani in Anambra State and Oguta in Imo State has continued to deny Anambra State the revenue accruable to the state from oil. The on-going efforts of the National Boundary Commission to resolve all States boundary disputes should be sustained to enable the issue resolved. If these Atani oil-rich farmland allegedly “leased out” in the past for farming to Oguta farmers are recovered, Anambra State will become the least Oil Producing State in Nigeria thus a license to becoming a beneficiary of the Presidential largesse for the youths of the Niger Delta States. The unemployed youths in the State will indeed have recuperation and succour from this benevolence there from also extricates themselves from idleness, which is the devils theatre. Provision of jobs to the youths would help to check youth restiveness. MASSOB, Militancy, NARTO, Pipe-line vandalization, NURTW, RTEAN, Okada Riding, Prostitution, Armed robbery etc are all bye-products of idleness and frustration. Indeed a man who plans to plant corn or banana should endeavour to make peace with the monkeys.
Mr. Ezennaya writes for the World Igbo Times Magazine, London.