By; Patrick Titus, Uyo.
Illegal sand dredgers operating in Akwa Ibom state have been given a matching order to stop their activities or face the full wrat of the law.
Governor Udom Emmanuel gave the order in Uyo.
Governor Emmanuel said the directive is borne out of the need to prevent some local government area in the state from degradation and devastation of the ecosystem which the activities of the illegal sand dredgers are capable of causing.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Works in the state, Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen has led government team to some dredging sites in Ibesikpo/Asutan local government area and intercepted dredgers and impounded equipment at Ikot Ossom as well as arrested some operators of the illicit activity
The works commissioner said that the sand dredging has caused serious degradation effect to the eco-system and has also altered the original road design of some of the bridges and roads approved for construction by the state government.
He said with its devastating effect on the environment, the state government cannot fold its hands to see the state being destroyed than to ensure that the activities of this illicit business are stopped forthwith
According to him, the design for the columns on the Mkpok Bridge originally was 9.6 metres but because of the persistent dredging, the columns has been moved to 36 metres, adding that if dredging activity is allowed to continue, the column would move up to 50 metres thereby making the process more expensive to enable the bridge to stand.
He advised those who wish to dredge sand in the state to go to the high seas and stop operating on small waters as such activities have grave consequences on the environment.
