Lafarge scrambles indigenes, deities as operations hurt Ewekoro

As its operations from limestone blasting and mining were beginning to constitute serious environmental hazards to the Oke-Oko Sekoni community in Ewekoro Local Government area of Ogun State, Lafarge Africa had to relocate the residents and their deities to a more conducive environment.

The cement company commenced relocation of no fewer than 1000 people and deities in two communities in the area to housing units newly built for them.

Managing Director of the company, Adepeju Adebanjo represented by Ewekoro plant manager, Thierry Terriere said at the inauguration of housing facilities at the weekend, that the relocation of the people and their deities was initiated to properly secure its host community from the environmental hazards from activities of the company

According to her, the construction of housing units (first phase) and other agreed facilities for the people of Oke-Oko, Sekoni, one of Lafarge WAPCO’s host communities in Ewekoro on 60 acres of land, was to relocate the people to a better environment-friendly place where blasting and mining of limestone would not affect them.

In his remarks, the Baale of one of the communities, Mukaila Oginsola said the gesture would save people of his community from various environmental hazards attached to blasting and mining of limestone around the old location, which is close to limestone belts.

He said, “We thank God though we fought them for this project and they are giving us what we asked them.”

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