Era Town is a community in Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area (LCDA), off Badagry expressway, Lagos. In this report, Also, an elder in the community, Mr Peter Ogbugo, said the residents were demanding the restoration of their market and complete rehabilitation of their road. He noted that transport fares in the community which used to average N50 was now N500 when available as only a few transporters now ply the very bad road. “Aside, the damage to the entire road network in Era town, the indigenes of the community being fishermen and women who survive on the abundance of the Ologe River, the activities of the dredgers, which were embarked upon without due regards to environmental assessment and its impacts on the community, have resulted in joblessness and further entrenched poverty in the community,” Ogbugo explained. Flouting 2007 Mining Act When Nigerian Tribune asked the umbrella body of dredgers in Nigeria, the Dredgers Association of Nigeria (DAN) whether the Era based dredgers were their members and were operating legally, the association disowned the dredgers in Era Town and said they are operating illegally. Speaking with Nigerian Tribune exclusively on the matter, the General Secretary of DAN, Mr Richard Ntan stated that, “These dredgers operating in Era Town are not validated members of DAN. “We don’t recognise them as members though we know that they claim to be members of DAN. If they are members, ask them if they are registered with DAN. As a member of DAN, there are certain obligations that you must fulfil. You have to register. You have to pay membership dues. You have to pay annual dues. You have to attend meetings and work with the constitution of DAN. “They may claim to be members of DAN, but we don’t know them because they are not valid members. Yes, they are into dredging and mining activities, but they are not our members. “If they are members of our association, why should they not comply with the rules and guidelines guiding dredging and mining activities? If they are to be our members, they will not indulge in activities that will degrade their host community because it is stated in the law guiding mining and dredging activities. “As dredgers, we are under authority. We have regulators. According to the law, it is compulsory for dredgers to fix their mining routes. It is succinctly stated in the 2007 Act on Mining Regulations of the Federal Government. As a dredger, you must fix your mining routes. “The 2007 Act on Mining Regulations of the Federal Government does not ask dredgers to go and fix the expressway. What the Act says is that dredgers should fix their mining routes. If your mining activities go through a community, it is the duty of the dredgers to fix the road of that community that they (dredgers) use. These are basic things that dredgers must do as CSR for their host communities. “As I am speaking with you, the Environmental Department of the Ministry of Mines just wrote us that they are coming out on inspection of mining sites.” Ntan reacted to media reports which have gone viral over the operations of the unknown dredgers. He lamented that such operators were behind the bad name given to dredging activities across the country, particularly in Lagos which has pitted the organised and registered dredgers body against regulatory authorities who do not ask if such dredgers seeking approvals truly belong to DAN. “These are the consequences of government regulatory agencies in not helping to organise businesses in Nigeria. But when trouble comes, both the good and bad people, in this case now, dredgers will be lumped together,” Mr Ntan further explained. He called for a proper regulation and review of the operations Era vicinity and strict profiling of the alleged dredgers, and those found culpable should face extant environment regulatory laws. The community roads should be repaired, and the necessary social responsibility ecosystem be extended to them, adding that all non-state actors, hoodlums and land grabbers should be arrested and made to face the law. “We are ashamed of what is going on in Era town and wish to join the community to call on all relevant regulatory bodies on environment, mining and inland waterways to quickly intervene and save Era community,” the DAN General secretary stated. Read Also: Senate promises speedy passage of extension revitalisation bill Source: