By Nnaya Okemini, Umuahia
Dr Ugah with Gov Okezie Ikpeazu
The Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah has said that the federal government is set to tackle illegal mining and erosion menace in Abia state sooner than expected.
Ogah, stated this during a courtesy visit to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu at Government House, Umuahia, the state capital, assuring of both his personal and the ministry’s readiness to partner with Ikpeazu on the agenda.
He pointed out that there is much both Ikpeazu and himself can do together to attract developments to the state from the ministry, adding that he will use the opportunity of the visit to share the ideas with the governor.
He said, “If there are areas in the state that require intervention of the federal government, the state should contact me. I believe I have the capacity to reach out to the federal government to protect the interest of the state.
‘’I am a minister of the federal Republic of Nigeria representing the state at the federal executive council. And I have the mandate to always state out issues that will help to develop the interest of our state,” he further stated.
The 2019 governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress Candidate (APC) in the state maintained that as far as he was concerned political campaigns were gone. “Campaigns are over. It is now time for governance.”
According to him, he was in the state to represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the burial of the late Mr. John Aguiyi-Ironsi, second son of former Head of State, the late Major-General JTU Aguiyi-Ironsi in the capital.
In his response, Ikpeazu decried the level of illegal mining activities in the state, attributing it to indiscriminate issuance of mining licence by the federal government without recourse to the inherent dangers of the activities.
The governor, who equally lamented the devastating menace of erosion in almost every community in the 17 local government areas of the state, disclosed that about 25 percent of land belonging to the state has been consumed by erosion.
He said through the intervention of the Nigeria Environmental and Watershed Management Agency (NEWMAP), three critical erosion sites have been reclaimed, adding that the Isuikwuato site requires urgent attention of the federal government.
Ikpeazu, who therefore congratulated Ugah on the appointment and for deeming it fit to pay him the visit, explained that there is a lot they both can work together to attract both local and international agencies to fight erosion and pollution in the state.
