The Director General of the Mining Cadastre Office (MCO) Engr. Obadiah Simon Nkom, has appealed to three communities; Amaokwe, Ngwongwo and Okwe in Ebonyi State to sheath their swords and support mining activities in the area for the development of their communities.
The appeal was made by Nkom, against the background of land ownership crises that have brought mining activities to a standstill in the communities.
The Director General who invited the leaders of the communities and the two companies involved, Crushed Rocks Ind Ltd and Pioneer Sino Chino Ventures Ltd to a crucial stakeholders’ meeting to find solution to the conflict, stressed in his opening remarks the need for a “win win” resolution of the conflict.
A statement by MCO pointed out that no development can take place amidst crisis and stated that if the crisis was not resolved amicably, the Federal Government can exercise its rights within the law on Mineral Acts, emphasising the ownership of the mineral resources by the Federal Government, even as State and individual can lay claim to land.
Nkom further explained that the communities have a bigger role in ensuring that peace prevails, saying “nobody can build and develop in an area of conflict”.
While the representatives of the three communities took their turns to provide historical facts and rights to the disputed land, the overall chairman of the communities, Innocent Offor, commended the MCO for the steps taken to resolve the crisis.
The three communities and the two companies were satisfied with the steps taken by the MCO’s interventions to bring lasting solutions to the crisis.
