Abuja Estate residents demand halt to rock blasting by Chinese quarry company
Residents of the AMAC Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, have demanded an immediate halt to rock explosions in the estate from a Chinese quarry company, Dai Jin Jia Investment Limited.
In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, the estate Chairman, Sunny Kulutuye, said that for seven years, the company’s blasting activities have threatened their buildings while the safety of their families is in danger.
“For over seven years, these dangerous blasting activities have been on, and our lives and properties have been threatened. Our buildings are cracking, and the safety of our families is in grave danger.
“We are not sure if any of our buildings will pass any integrity test because of these dangerous blasts that have been shaking the foundation of our houses. Our once peaceful community is now under constant threat from man-made tremors,” he said.
The chairman said the residents gathered around the Chinese company on Saturday to protest its activities, during which they made a four-point demand.
He listed them as the immediate suspension of blasting activities within the estate’s vicinity; a thorough environmental and structural integrity assessment of our buildings; an urgent government intervention to protect the lives and properties of law-abiding citizens; and a comprehensive assessment of compromised buildings and adequate compensation.
Mr Kulutuye emphasised that the residents “are not opposed to economic activities or development, but no business interest should come at the expense of human lives and the structural safety of residential homes.”
Efforts by PREMIUM TIMES to speak with the company on the residents’ concerns and demands were unsuccessful.
In July, this newspaper reported that the residents staged a protest around the company’s quarry site against its incessant and unregulated blasting operations.
During the protest, they blocked all access routes to the site to express their grievances regarding the operations.
At the time, the chairman of the workers on the site, who identified himself as Haruna, told journalists and the protesters that the Chinese nationals operating the quarry site could not attend to the protesters because of a language barrier.
“We have listened to you and we promise to amend. All your demands will be communicated to them, and we assure you won’t have any reason to do this again,” Mr Haruna said.
PRESS STATEMENT
We, the Residents of AMAC Estate, Demand an Immediate Halt to Dangerous Rock Blasting by Chinese Quarry Company -Dai Jin Jia Investment Limited
We, the residents of Aco Estate, Airport Road, Lugbe, have gathered here again today in a peaceful demonstration to express our deep concern over the continued dangerous rock blasting operations of a Chinese quarry company (Dai Jin Jia Investment Ltd) situated within proximity to our homes in AMAC Estate, along the Airport Road, here in Abuja.
For over seven years, these dangerous blasting activities have been on, and our lives and properties have been threatened. Our buildings are cracking, and the safety of our families is in serious danger.
We are not sure if any of our buildings will pass any integrity test because of the dangerous blasting that has been shaking the foundation of our houses. Our once peaceful community is now under constant threat from man-made tremors.
We are not opposed to economic activities or development, but no business interest should come at the expense of human lives and the structural safety of residential homes. Our demand is simple:
1. An immediate suspension of blasting activities within our Estate’s vicinity.
2. A thorough environmental and structural integrity assessment of our buildings.
3. Urgent government intervention to protect the lives and properties of law-abiding citizens.
4. Comprehensive assessment of compromised buildings and adequate compensation
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We appeal to relevant authorities, regulators, and the Nigerian government to act decisively. Our homes must be safe, our children must be protected, and our community must be secured.
Signed,
Sunny Kulutuye
Chairman
Aco Residents Association