By Toba Adedeji, Osogbo
The people of Olopo II, Ilode Ile-Ife has lamented the effect of the quarry site situated in the community calling on Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for quick intervention.
The scores of the community storm the two quarry site namely: NASAUDE International Minning Company Limited and Marls Venture in peaceful protest by not allowing them to work in the site on Monday morning.
However three hours later when Journalist visited the site the worker launch an attack both on journalist and the community.
One of the elderly victim of the quarry hazard, Mr. Adeniyi Akinola said ” Am partial blinded now due to the pebbles and dusts that comes from the blast of the rocks now I can’t see without my glasses on”
Even the community contributed money for surgery which I did, yet I couldn’t see without the glasses on.”He lamented”.
While speaking with the chairman of Ilopo II community, Mr Olafare Olarotimi said ” Marls Venture is the first mining Company that came to our area they told us they wanted to excavate a precious stone called Tourmaline, promising us that, any affected house during their mining would be mended and the owner will be compensated but ever since then nothing has been done to all the houses their blasting has damage”
” When they are blasting the rocks, stone use to fly around which at times enter into our rooms and all the houses that are not even close to the site will be vibrating “
” Although, when they came to our community we signed an agreement through lawyers but we did not know how detrimental it would be to our living”
“The water passage has been blocked by their activities of blasting resulting to flooding in our areas”
“We hereby call on Minister of Mining and mineral resources , Dr. Kayode Fayemi and President Buhari to save us by relocating us to another place to prevent further happenings. We have written and invited National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency but nothing has been done”.
Another resident identified as Benson Adewoyin ” they said they will pay N2 million naira for me and subsequent time any money realize from the mining they would be giving me a certain percentage but ever since then I was only given N200,000 and nothing else since then”
The effort to speak with the two quarry representative is abortive. One of the representative did not grant interview to speak with journalist at the site.
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