On November 2012, some stakeholders in Ogun State, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tricycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (TORAN) and others called on the state government to reintroduce emission control to curtail the increasing air pollution in the state.
Emission is the term used to describe the gases and particles which are put into the air or emitted by various sources, but the amounts and types of emissions change yearly. These changes are caused by change in the nation’s economy, industrial activity, technology improvements, traffic, and by many other factors.
In order to make improvements in the air quality, the amount of pollutants in the air must be measured. The emissions measurement centre develops standards and evaluates testing methods so that regulations can be developed and enforced. An emission factor is a relationship between the amount of emissions that are released and the activity of the producer. Emission factors are used to predict emission levels for different industries.
Once the measurements are made the information must be collected and stored so that it can be used to evaluate the air quality and effects of the regulations. The Clearing House for Inventories and Emissions Factors (CHIEF) is a centralised resource for emission data.
Most people don’t really know the danger of air pollution and it is the responsibility of government to constantly enlighten the people on the damage to human health caused by air pollution.
However, researches and studies have shown that of all the sources of air pollution, vehicular emission accounts for more than 50% followed by industrial discharges. This is more reasons why the stakeholders in the state admitted to join hands together to combat the menace of air pollution.
Emission control is not new in the state. Its abuse and mismanagement led to its cancellation, but there is a need to reintroduce it to save the masses from untimely death. The emission control scheme should not be limited to transporters and industrialists in the state, but should be extended to those who use generators for their day-to-day activities as those also contribute at least 40% air pollution.
Now, it is imperative for the residents of the state to cooperate with the state government to protect the public from the hazard of air pollutions in the state, as the government could not shoulder the responsibility in curtailing air pollution in the state.
The breathing in of oxygen alongside with polluted air in the society and releasing of carbon dioxide has a lot to do in human health, as most of the air we breathe in has been polluted with vehicular, gaseous and industrial discharges.
Though, the programme would not be designed to extort money from anybody, either from transporters, industrialists and others but to protect the public from the hazards of air pollution in the state and to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
Moreover, the overhauling of the scheme in the state is necessary for optimum performance, and to bring the air pollution in the state to the barest minimum for the inhabitants it must be timely.
It is now important for all stakeholders in the state to work hand in glove with the government to rid the state of air pollution hazards in line with the United Nations (UN) and other relevant international agencies’ efforts to check, control and monitor vehicular emissions.
It is pertinent to emphasize the fact that air pollution has caused a lot of damages to the human health and if care is not taken in checkmating the menace it will soon get out of hands.
- From Ademola Orunbon
Abeokuta, Ogun State.