Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi on Monday
lamented the unfortunate death of the All
Progressive Congress, APC, youth leader, Comrade
Ogochukwu Elem, whose car plunged into a mining
pit located along Abakaliki/ Ikwo road.
Umahi, who visited the scene of the incident, said
the incident was mysterious and vowed to identify
all mining pits in the state to forestall such
occurrences in the state.
The governor revealed further that the late APC
youth leader, alongside two police officers, were on
their way to an official function at Ikwo LGA before
the unfortunate incident happened.
According to him: “We learnt of the unfortunate
incident of an accident here on this road that was
on Saturday. The accident is still a mystery to all of
us, that was the APC Youth Leader with some
policemen that were going for a function and the
accident happened.
“We do not know the cause of the accident, we do
not know what happened but it’s quite very
mysterious how it happened that even the wages of
the sand could not stop them and the small vehicle
plunged into a pit that was dug over 20 years and
not closed.
“It is very unfortunate and we have been fighting
this issue of digging pits, harvesting lead, zinc and
shippings without closing it back. We have been
fighting with miners in Ebonyi state over this issue.
And so, the Chief of Staff is here who also doubles
as the Commissioner for Solid Mineral.
“We are going to identify all the pits in Ebonyi state
whether it was dug for lead, for zinc, for shippings
or any other mineral in Ebonyi state. we have to
identify who did it and then the closing of these pits
must commence by next Monday,” he stated.
