The Nation Newspaper

Tag: dumpsite

  • Dumpsite turns into nightmare for residents of Lagos community

    Dumpsite turns into nightmare for residents of Lagos community

    • Robbers adopt site as hideout
    • Epidemic looms as residents lament pollution of water sources
    • Landlords flee communities as bush cats, snakes other deadly animals terrorise residents 

    The health of many residents of LASU/Isheri area of Alimosho Local Government Area, Lagos State is at risk over the pollution of their water sources by the dumpsite located in the area. Their predicament is compounded by the invasion of their homes by robbers and deadly animals that use the refuse dumps as hideouts, INNOCENT DURU reports.

    Mr Godwin Akhagbokhai was elated with the completion of his residential building at Lanre Bus stop in LASU/ Isheri area of Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State. The location is one that any estate agent would easily use to convince would be tenants to secure accommodation or acquire property there. 

    Less than an hour drive to the Murtala Mohammed Airport and less than 15 minutes’ drive from Lagos State University (LASU), the area, a stone’s throw to the capital city, Ikeja, is paved with well tarred road and enjoys regular power supply among other advantages.

    So, for Mr Akhagbokhai and many others, the area was a very good place to live in. And it proved to be so until the state government converted an expanse of empty land in the area to a refuse dump.

    The refuse dump  started with small drops of garbage that grew gradually into a mountainous heap polluting the area and causing serious environmental cum health challenges for residents.  

    Akhagbokhai said: “I have been a landlord here for over 15 years. When I moved into this area, the dumpsite was not there. I dug a well and we were drinking from the water.  

    “The same applied to other people who built houses in the area. We were all drinking the water from the wells and boreholes we made in our various houses. 

    “Suddenly, they created the dumpsite and after a while, it started polluting our waters.

    “The dump site is causing a lot of environmental problems for us, especially the kids.  

    “Rashes, cough and respiratory problems, among other health challenges, are widespread. 

    “Personally, the challenges occasioned by the dumpsite have affected my health condition. At times, my breath would cease. My legs are the most affected. I cannot do my work again because of ill health.

    “There was a time I went to the General Hospital here at Igando and doctors had to admit me. They asked me to do 21 laboratory tests. 

    “After the tests were done, nothing was found. Somebody merely said it was the environment that was responsible for the challenges.

    “I have a son who is in Part Four in the university and is about to be asked to leave because I couldn’t pay. My health condition stopped me from working.”

    The Chairman of Zone 6, Owodunni Community Development Association, Mr Ige John, corroborated Akhagbokhai’s claims. A visit to his compound reveals how the polluted water has corroded the water storage tanks and everything it touches.  John said: “I have been living here since 2009. It has been challenging living here. Our environment has grievously suffered from the challenges posed by the dumpsite.  

    “The dump site has polluted our water.  We cannot drink the water, cook or do anything meaningful with it.  

    “The water in my house is a borehole and not a well, yet it is polluted. Whenever one uses polluted water of this nature to bathe, it causes infections. 

    “I suffer from typhoid from time to time, and it is a common sickness in this neighbourhood.”

    He recalled that “there was a time some Lagos State Government officials came here and later people from a department in Lagos State University (LASU). 

    “They said that they learnt that our water is polluted. After all said and done, they took samples of the water. But since they came three years ago, we have not set our eyes on them again. 

    “Most often, I buy water from truck pushers. A truck costs between N1,000 and N1,200 and it doesn’t take time before we exhaust it. ”  

    He added that fire outbreaks are often recorded at the dump site and the experience is better imagined. “Whenever there is a fire outbreak, nobody will be able to pass through our road. In fact, the fire can burn for a week.  

    “There was a time the fire from the dumpsite burnt three cars parked in a mechanic workshop.  

    “The cars were brought for repairs but they got burnt by the fire from the dumpsite. 

    “A cobbler also had his shop and all the shoes, including the sum of N36,000 he left in the shop, were burnt by the same fire from the dumpsite.”

    The ugly development, it was learnt, has forced some landlords to sell their houses.

    According to John, “a landlord who built one of the most beautiful houses in the community had to sell it when she came from abroad and found that it was in front of a messy dumpsite. 

    “The naval officer who bought the building also had to sell it off after robbers came from the dumpsite to rob him and his household of their valuables. 

    “There is hardly a building in the neighborhood that has not been robbed by criminals mostly operating from the dumpsite. Aside from dumping refuse on the dumpsite, people dump dead bodies of both old and young there. At times, new born babies are abandoned there.”

    The expression on the face of a petty trader, who gave her name simply as Bose, tells all about the ugly experience she is having in the area.

    Reliving her experience in an interview with our correspondent, she said: “Each time we come to the shop in the morning, we are confronted with the sight of nylon bags filled with different colours and shapes of human faeces.  

    “Aside from faeces, we also find bags of refuse carelessly dropped all over the place every morning. I spend personal money to throw them away.

    “I have a scavenger who I give money to help me pack and throw those rubbish away because I cannot touch them with my hands. It comes at a huge cost to me, but if I don’t do that, I will not be able to open my shop and do business.”

    Robbers, deadly animals torment residents 

    Added to the environmental and health challenges the residents are suffering is the menace of armed robbery and invassion of their homes by deadly animals living f8 the dumpsite. 

    According to the Owodunni Zone 6 CDA chairman, John Ige, “bush cats disturb the area a lot. Their cries at night are scary and disturbing.  

    “They came to my compound two weeks ago and left bloodstains of birds and chickens that they killed. 

    “I don’t know where they got the  birds and chickens from because I don’t rear them in my house.  

    “We have also killed snakes in my compound. They come from the dumpsite which has become a breeding ground for all manners of dangerous human beings and animals.

    “Hoodlums are using the dumpsite as   hideouts. 

    “Some years ago, some armed robbers came from there to attack the community. When our security guards confronted them, they fled through the same place.”

    He noted that during former Governor Babatunde Fashola’s tenure, there was an arrangement made to ease the community of the inconveniences.  Owodunni added: “They used to fumigate the dumpsite in the midnight, but that stopped even before Fashola left office.  

    “Cockroaches, mosquitoes, snakes and other dangerous animals now invade our community at will.”

    Also expressing concern over the invassion of the community by deadly animals, Bose, the petty trader, said: “A boy was walking around recently at about 6:30 pm when suddenly, his leg kicked something. 

    “When he looked at it, it was a snake. He screamed and alerted us. I quickly went with a stick and killed the snake.  

    “Aside from the shop, I have also killed snakes in my house.  

    “My daughter was walking in the compound at night when footwear inexplicably slipped off her legs.  

    “When we pointed a torch at the place, we saw a snake rolled up near the spot where the slippers were. I immediately fetched a stick and killed it. 

    “It has been a very unpleasant experience having this dumpsite in the neighbourhood.”

    Akhagbokhai also told of how he killed a snake in his house, saying: “The stench from the dumpsite is horrible, especially when it rains and snakes come from the refuse site.

    “I recently saw a snake in my kitchen. I killed the snake. We were lucky that it did not harm anybody in the house.”

    An artisan, who gave his name simply as Mutiu, decried the deplorable state of the community and the activities of hoodlums who use the dumpsite as hideout.

     “Hoodlums have continued to terrorise the community at will,” he said. 

    “They broke into one of the houses and stole six generators in one night.  

    “When you look into the dumpsite, you will see over 200 people there. All manner of shaddy activities occur at the place.”

    Residents decry unfulfilled promises 

    Sequel to the myraid of challenges confronting them, the residents said they had reached out to the state government on occasions but got no fruitful response.

    Akhagbokhai said when he noticed that his water source had been polluted, he reached out to the state government with hope that the challenge would be addressed.

    He said: “When this happened, I personally reported to the Lagos State government during the tenure of Governor Babatunde Fashola. They responded by sending some engineers to take samples of my water. But up until this time we are talking, nothing has been done.

    “At some point, engineers from the water corporation suggested that I should dig the well again. I called people to clear it but nothing changed.  

    “On the surface, the water looks clean, but it is actually polluted.” 

    After his efforts yielded no fruits, he said, “I later connected my house with the public tap but it stopped  working for no reason. 

    “We  have water in our houses but we spend a lot of money buying water because the one we have in the house has been  contaminated.”

    John, the Chairman of the Zone 6 CDA, recalled that “the management of LAWMA came around as well and held meetings with the members of the community and the executive. Subsequently, they came and dug two boreholes for the community but they never worked for a day.

    “There was a time they told us that the dumpsite was not ripe to be shut down and that when the time comes for them to  do that, they would come with certain equipment that they would use to press the whole rubbish down. 

    “They said that when this is done, we would not know that the place was ever a dumpsite.  

    “They said they would turn the place into a recreational centre where children and adults would be able to relax and enjoy themselves.  

    “We have yet to hear from them since then.”

    Given all the challenges thrown at them by the refuse dump, John said, “the  state government is supposed to put measures in place to help us. 

    “In developed climes, this kind of dumpsite will be used  to generate electricity which would be beneficial to the people. 

    “If that is done here,  power supply will not be a problem for us and the entire Igando area and beyond.  We seriously need urgent government assistance  now more than ever because the troubles created by the dumpsite are becoming unbearable daily.”

    More residents groan

    While the dumpsite at Lanre was said to have been officially shut down, the one beside the General Hospital at Igando was a beehive of activities when our correspondent visited. 

    The heap of refuse was monstrous while the smell in the area was odious. The unbearable stench leaves one to wonder how the residents survive in the midst of the environmental pollution bedeviling the area.

    Even the reporter experienced some stomach discomfort during the visit to the dumpsite. It took hours after he had left the area to experience a relief.

    A resident of Afenifere community, who gave her name as Comfort,  said the dumpsite was making it difficult for them to access good water. 

    “Our water is worse than the one that is flowing inside a gutter. All the houses in this area don’t have good water. We always go to other communities to buy water,” she said. 

    One of the community leaders, Deacon John Gbologe, said that life had not been the same since the dumpsite was moved to the area. 

    He said: “At times, to eat in your house is a problem except you close your windows. 

    “We have written about three letters to the state government and even to the general hospital. They promised that they would come and pour chemicals on it but they are yet to do so. 

    “Unfortunately, this pollution causes diseases. The dumpsite attracts a legion of mosquitoes and other insects to our area. It causes malaria, typhoid and even cholera. 

    “Some people who live close to the site complain of stomach challenges. The stench is always horrible during the rainy season or whenever they are turning the garbage. 

    “Most of the time, you will have to lock the windows and other places. It is a serious matter.” 

    It was also a tale of pains and frustration for the people residing around Oko-Filling, another community facing the imposing refuse dump. 

    Not only are some of the wells polluted, the air around the community is also compromised by the unhealthy smell from the garbage. 

    One of the residents, Omosuzi Obeto, said her family had been having running battles with malaria and typhoid since they moved to the area. 

    Obeto said: “We weren’t falling sick the way we are doing here where we were before. 

    “There is hardly a month we don’t take medication for malaria and typhoid since we came here because the water is not so good. 

    “At times, it produces a foul smell. We have stopped using it to brush or wash things like fruits without boiling, just to avoid infection and other attendant health problems.”

    Israel, a resident of Itoko Avenue, said: “The refuse dump affected our water to the extent that it changed the colours of our toilet seats, buckets and other things we use in the house. It was when we dug it further that the water became better. 

    “So many other buildings have similar problem and that makes it challenging for them to have water for domestic use.” 

    Residents susceptible to skin cancer, says health expert 

     A medical and environmental expert, Dr Fasipe Olumuyiwa, had told the reporter that the residents are susceptible to skin problems now and skin cancer later in life if they are continuously exposed to the polluted water.

    Explaining the implication of what the people are going through, he said: “The implication can be divided into environmental and biological\medical.

    “The environmental implications are as a result of pollutants that are being released from the breakdown of the degradable wastes that is in the component of the refuse. 

    “This involves the release of green house gases which is mainly Co2 into the atmosphere and lead to green house effect. 

    “This is a sensitive issue in the whole world as we speak. Co2 leads to the accumulation of heat and raises the temperature of the environment. 

    “This  is capable of causing physical hazard in the environment.

    “Medically, there are some of the wastes of the broken down materials that are not being released as gas into the air. This produces toxic chemicals that are capable of polluting the underground water. 

    “For example, we have not made use of the water in the well in my house for the past three to four years because the underground water has been polluted totally. It can cause a lot of skin diseases. 

    “Over a period of time, exposure to that kind of water can cause skin cancer.”

    He added: “With the pollution, there is a release of noxious gas into the environment. This is very dangerous to human health, because when you breathe it in, it can cause serious damage to the lung and other vital parts of the body. 

    “Some people would be prone to all manner of ailments because they go ahead to consume this water as they don’t have the means of getting supply from water tankers. The consumption will automatically cause diarrhea and other skin diseases.

    “Some of the children can also suffer from pneumonia as a result of the noxious gases that are being released into the environment.  

    “Pneumonia is associated with cold to some extent, but there has to be a pathogenic organism, a bacteria or a viral agent which this refuse dump can serve as a breeding ground for.  They can propagate the spread of infections to the environment. 

    “These pollutants are common causes of what we sometimes call unknown illness.  

    “Here in Nigeria, we don’t have the facilities to carry out some tests. Some of the toxics being released are organic toxic substances that require special tests.”

    Developed countries turning refuse to power 

    While management of refuse dumps  has remained a huge problem in this part of the world, countries in the developed world have identified it as veritable means of generating power.

    In fact, a country like Sweden is said to be importing garbage from Europe to boost its power generation.

    According to a report by Al Jazeera, every day, some 300 trucks arrive at a plant outside the city of Göteborg on the west coast of Sweden. They carry garbage, but they are not there to dump the cargo. Instead, they deliver it to the plant’s special ovens, which burn it, providing heat to thousands of local homes.

    “The only fuel we use is waste,” says Christian Löwhagen, a spokesman for Renova, the local government-owned energy company operating the plant. “It provides one-third of heat for households in this region.” Across Sweden, 950,000 homes are heated by trash; this lowly resource also provides electricity for 260,000 homes across the country, according to statistics from Avfall Sverige, Sweden’s national waste-management association.

    Swedes (as well as Germans, Danes, the Dutch and Belgians) have become so good at recycling that there’s no longer enough garbage to meet the heating plants’ needs. Sweden now has to import the trash that most other countries are trying to dispose of — some 800,000 tons in 2014, up from 550,000 tons in 2010, according to Avfall Sverige.

    Last year Renova brought in 100,000 tons of foreign garbage, mostly from Britain, in addition to the 435,000 tons supplied by Swedish municipalities. In Stockholm, energy provider Fortum also imports garbage, and in the southern city of Malmö, the Sysav energy company brought in 135,000 tons of waste from Norway and Britain last year, according to the company’s communications director, Gunilla Carlsson. That’s an almost 100 percent leap from the year before. 

    “We try to stay up to date on where well-sorted garbage is available,” says Löwhagen. “We only use waste where all recyclable bits have been taken out. In Europe, enormous amounts of garbage are put in landfill, so we’re doing other countries a favor by taking care of it for them.” 

  • Breeding infection on Karu-Jikwoyi road

    The stench that greets motorists and passersby on the Nyanya-Karu-Jikwoyi road, just after the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, is enough notice that a horrific refuse dumpsite is around.

    Situated not far from the church and close to residential areas, shops and the Karu Market, the dump serves the interests of scavengers and animals that seek food remnants.

    The danger is that the space beside the dumpsite has been turned into a football field by young people and there is a watercourse along the dump that can be used by the “footballers’’ after match.

    The refuse sometimes spills to the road, the development that has been a source of concern for the health of motorists, passersby, residents and shop owners around the area.

    Some of the concerned residents and motorists say they imagine the long term effects of the pollution and what the area can turn out to be in future.

    Even, Mr Musa Alhassan, suspected to be a scavenger in the dumpsite, says although the dump is his source of livelihood, the stench makes him nauseated.

    “I come here to pick plastics and metal to sell to people and the truth is that I get a lot of them here because the dirt is much.

    “Sometimes, I feel like vomiting when I am picking these items because of the smell. There are so many rotten things here and it smells terribly’’, he says.

    Similarly, a shop owner in the area, Mrs Chiaka Chibuzor, complains that the presence of the dumpsite discourages customers from coming in to her shop and others around the place.

    “We really try to get by here because people practically have to cover their noses when they stop by and this does not allow them to stay’’, she complains.

    Mr Audu Dauda, a tricycle operator, says being stuck in traffic around the dumpsite or having his tricycle breakdown there is his nightmare, appealing to the concerned authorities to find a permanent solution to the problem.

    Warning against disease outbreak in the area, Miss Precious Agaecheta, Programmes Officer, Youth Initiative for Sustainable Development in Africa, says the implication of having such a dumpsite in the location is gruesome.

    According to her, the wastes in the dumpsite are both biodegradable and non-biodegradable — plastics and nylon bags — especially from the nearby market.

    “Research has shown that plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills, this poses a great hazard on the environment as the dumpsite cannot be considered for other activities in future.

    “These wastes eventually rot and produce harmful carbon-dioxide and methane gases which are both greenhouse gases and cause global warming’’, she explains.

    She observes that open dumpsites pollute the air that is inhaled and emit obnoxious odours and smoke that cause illness to people living in, around, or close to the dumpsites.

    Ezinne says the waste from healthcare centres and other medical waste disposed in dumpsites, mixed with domestic waste increase the risk of infection, especially on the waste workers and rag pickers.

    She says the government needs to intensify efforts environmental sanitation and the cleaning of the Nyanya-Karu-Jikwoyi road dumpsite.

    “If there should exist dumpsites, the government should ensure that these are not located around residential areas or public property.

    “Environmental agencies need to educate individuals on the benefits of sorting waste from source and the immense rewards that can be accrued from recycling.

    “The people also need to ensure that when trash bins are situated in their locality, they dispose waste properly rather than litter on the floor that gradually becomes a dumpsite over time.

    “There also has to be an enforcement of law that stipulates that waste workers or mai-shara, as they are popularly called, are punished for indiscriminate waste disposal’’, she suggests.

    Mr Sunday Nwabugwu, an environmentalist with the British Council, observes that indiscriminate dumping of refuse has tremendous negative impact on the environment.

    “Chemicals and other dangerous contaminants found in solid waste seep into our ground water and they are also carried by rainwater to rivers and other sources of drinking water not just for humans but for animals’’, he says.

    According to him, dumping refuse anywhere close to human residences or where they carryout businesses is not proper because the wastes are sources of contamination due to the incubation and proliferation of flies, mosquitoes and rodents.

    “Emissions from dumps too close to homes also cause respiratory diseases as contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body’’, he explains.

    Nwabugwu says indiscriminate dumping of refuse is unpleasing to the eyes and detrimental to the natural beauty of anywhere, especially when visible from the roadways.

    “One of the important economic impacts created by the solid waste is the impact on residential property values.

    “Apart from this, residential property values are affected by the generation and management of solid waste.

    “The social impacts include the unpleasant odour when garbage is left uncollected and the substance it emits.

    “It also breeds mosquitoes, worms, insects and flies and the release of smoke and poisonous gases giving rise to safety problems’’, he says.

    Nwabugwu pleads that government must take responsibility for the control, collection and disposal of garbage, especially at indiscriminate places.

    He also advises that the government should put in a structure to ensure defaulters are penalised for their actions to restrain people from indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

    “If nothing is done to stop the unwholesome practice, there may be grave consequences for the residents of the environment that may also affect the larger society in the future.

     

    • News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

  • We are at risk of epidemic over location of dumpsite, Calabar residents cry out

    For residents of Ikot Effanga Mkpa community along LEMNA road in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, the permanent stench of refuse has become a part of their lives.

    This is because right within the settlement lay a stretch of the Calabar dumpsite, where all the refuse gathered throughout the city by the waste management agency are disposed.

    It was gathered that the community grew around the dumpsite, which started sometime in the early 2000s. Before the construction of the LEMNA road, there were hardly any resident around there. With the then state government’s city expansion project through the construction of the road that led through an area of the town that was previously secluded, residential buildings started springing up.

    When The Nation visited the area, the stench from the dumpsite was unbearable, yet people were living right across it.

    For Mr Asuquo Inyang, who owns a house right across the dumpsite, several appeals have been made to the government cutting across the previous administrations to relocate the dumpsite but nothing had been done yet.

    “That dumpsite has continued to pose a serious health hazard to this area. We are surviving only by the mercy of God. We have made series of appeals to remove the dumpsite. All appeals have fallen on deaf ears all through successive administrations because that dumpsite has been there since Donald Duke’s administration. Nothing is being done about the relocation of the dumpsite.

    “The odour alone in this area is enough to make one run mad. The flies, rats and other crawling creatures there come into our houses, touching food items and other things in our houses. It is a pathetic situation. There is fear of epidemic. Most of us living here are property owners and we cannot relocate because we have established permanent homes here. But tenants can afford to relocate, but we cannot afford to do so. Where will we go?

    “Please, you the press people  should reinforce the appeal. The earlier government thinks about relocating this dumpsite the better for us to avoid an outbreak of an epidemic here,” Inyang begged.

    Another resident, who simply gave his name as David, said they had learnt to endure the hazardous situation, as their appeals to remove the dumpsite have been futile.

    “Such a dump should not be close to where people are living, not to mention inside a city such as Calabar. The level of risk we are exposed here cannot be quantified, but what can we do? This is the place available for most of us to build our houses. Should we be the ones to leave the place for the dump, or it should be the dump leaving the place for us? Calabar is becoming a fast growing city and you can see the number of houses growing around this new area which the government has opened up. So as a government which, I believe means well for its citizens as well as trying to uphold its status as sanitary conscious, I plead that this dump be moved to another area for the sake of our health.”

    Another resident, Mr Daniel Bassey said: “As it is now, you can smell the pollution in the air around right from my house. But I tell you, that is nothing. Come back in the night and you would wonder how we manage to survive here. In the night, the smell is so thick that you can even taste it. It is even worse when it rains. Even if you like, you can go inside your room and lock everywhere, the smell will meet you. I can only imagine the kind things we breathe into our bodies. The government needs to do something urgently about the situation before some kind of epidemic breaks out here. In my opinion, a dump such as this should not be anywhere close to where human beings are staying. It is a very terrible situation we face here and God is the only one who is keeping us.”

    The Cross River State House Of Assembly had in 2013 resolved that the House Committee On Environment interface with the Waste Management Agency and other relevant agencies to address the health hazard caused by the refuse dump.

    The resolution was sequel to a matter of urgent public interest on the danger of the refuse dump, by the then Deputy Speaker and member representing Akamkpa State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Itaya Asuquo Nyong.

    Nyong had observed that with the fast growing status of the state capital, locating such a dump site in the city was dangerous to the inhabitants.

    Again, sometime in 2014, the House of Assembly had approved a new dump site for the state waste management agency.

     

    The House had approved that the dumpsite for the state management agency be relocated to Awi Gmelina plantation in Akamkpa Local Government Area.

    This had followed the presentation of a report by the chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission and Environmental Matters, Joseph Bassey, which noted that the dumpsite  constituted a health hazard to the people in the area.

    Bassey, who represented Calabar South constituency, had said the Ikot Effanga Mkpa was chosen as a dumpsite at a time the area was not a residential one.

  • Red buses burnt as Olusosun dumpsite catches fire

    Fire yesterday erupted from the popular Olulosun dumpsite, Ojota and left residents and commuters panicking for several hours.

    Some red buses were said to have burnt.

    For hours, thick smoke roared from the dumpsite as motorists, passersby at the Ojota, Ketu and Alausa environs ran away, wondering what could have been responsible for the massive inferno.

    The Nation gathered that the inferno began around 4pm, but the cause could not be ascertained.

    As at 8pm, officials of the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) were still battling with the fire.

    The fire men were overwhelmed as the fire raged with many bowlers, scavengers, security personnel and other people in the stinking dumpsite watching helplessly. As the inferno spread to other parts of the dumpsite where used tyres, inflammables as well as confiscated motorcycles were kept, people scampered for safety.

    The incident also led to massive traffic gridlock on some parts of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Seven-Up axis, Governor Office Road and some parts of Alausa.

    Although, there was no casualty, it was gathered some people were injured in the process of running away.

    Fire trucks were quickly deployed to the scene with other emergency vehicles and responders but the magnitude of the fire was just too much to easily contain.

    Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Mr Rasak Fadipe, said the velocity of the outbreak was much.

    He said the fire was burning towards the direction of the Lagos red bus yard.

    Fadipe said: “I asked them to drive out all the busses, but they said some of them were faulty. They cannot be moved and we are still battling with it. We are trying to ensure the fire does not get to the nearby filling station.

    “The fire is heavy; we have used about five trucks of water and we are still here. We got the information around 4pm LASEMA and LASTMA trucks are also here with us. I cannot say how many buses are burnt, but some of them are already burning.”

  • Dumpsite affecting patronage, Amusement Park cries out

    The management of Rosellas Amusement Park in Lagos has appealed to the state government to clear the dumpsite near it.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ololade Abraham, made the appeal when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    Abraham said the challenge coupled with the incessant flooding that used to affect the park and its environs might lead the park into extinction.

    “I need the state government’s support by providing a good location for the park from its present site,” he said.

    According to him, the park may soon close down due to insufficient funds to run it and also stench oozing from the dumpsite closer to it.

    He appealed to the government to save his park, stressing that workers employed there and their families would be negatively affected if the park close down.

    Ololade listed some parks in the state that had folded up to include: the Leisure Park, Fantasy Land, Family fun and Kid zone.

    “All these parks were tourism sites in the state when they were functioning. They contributed to the tourism prospective of the state and were providing job opportunities to many youths then.”

  • New landfill sites to replace Olusosun dumpsite, others, says Ambode

    New landfill sites to replace Olusosun dumpsite, others, says Ambode

    • Parnership with Visionscape to end flooding, says Ambode

    The integrated waste management services contract between the Lagos State Government and leading environmental utility group Visionscape, is targeted at ending the flooding and ensuring a cleaner city, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has said.

    He spoke at a sensitisation workshop on 2017 Water Technology and Environmental Control Conference and Exhibition (WATEC) in  Ikeja.

    The governor said the overall objective of the new environmental policy of his administration encapsulated in the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), was basically to capitalise on the vantage position of Lagos as the world’s highest producer of waste by adopting a waste-to-wealth programme with the view to tackling environmental challenges and growing the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

    According to the contract spanning 10 years, Visionscape which specializes in providing turnkey solutions in areas of sanitation, energy and wastewater treatment, will be responsible for door-to-door waste collection services to households in the state.

    Ambode said the Olusosun dump site which had been an eyesore and others would be closed, while Visionscape would build an engineered sanitary landfill sites and transfer loading stations/material recovery sites where the collected waste would be properly managed in line with international best practice, and thereby finally eliminating the issues of dumping of waste in drainages and on the roadsides.

    “You see, I live in Ikeja and each time I have to pass through Motorways, do you think I like what I see? That is not a land fill site in Olusosun, it is a dump site. The place is an eyesore and it is the first thing you see when you are coming into Lagos and that is not what you should see in a city that is globally competitive.

    “The impression that has been given is that Olusosun is a land fill site but the answer is no. It is not scientifically treated; you only allow compactors to go and drop waste in a living neighborhood. Who does that?

    “It has been there for almost 30 years and nobody is looking at it but we are now looking at it.

    The truth is this, with the CLI, we have to shut down Olusosun dump site and part of the contract is that Visionscape will give us new land fill sites that are scientifically treated,” he explained.

    Clarifying issues raised by some of the participants at the workshop,  Ambode expressed excitement at the decision of Visionscape to key into the vision of his administration to revolutionise waste management in the state.

    He said: “Lagos is generating the highest waste per day in the world more than New York. Documented statistics show that Lagos is generating 13,000 metric tonnes of waste every day. New York is generating 10,000. So, if Lagos is generating 13,000 waste per day and you factor in the unmanned areas in Ayobo, Ijede and all that combined, Lagos will be generating maybe 16,000 tonnes per day. The business part of it is that we can easily turn the waste to wealth and so there is an unchartered economy in the waste business in Lagos.

    “From our own vision, we believe strongly that this is one sure bet way to grow our GDP but there has been a total mismanagement of waste which has led us to review our legislation and introduce waste management reform in the state and that is why we have gone into the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI).

    “Through the initiative, one of the best known private sector companies in waste management is Visionscape and they are everywhere in the world. We have attracted them to Lagos and for us to do that in a period of recession speaks volume about how we are managing the state because for them, they believe that if they can conquer Lagos, it means that there is nothing about waste management that they cannot conquer, which is our own selling point also.”

    He said once the waste is properly evacuated, the firm would also facilitate the second level of waste management which is the turning of waste into wealth and other beneficial uses.

  • New born found on dumpsite in Bauchi

    There was outrage yesterday at Gwallameji, a suburb of Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital, following the discovery of a dog eating a baby abandoned at a refuse dump.

    The incident is coming less than four months after the lifeless body of a baby, wrapped in a polythene bag, was found at a refuse dump in the same area.

    An eyewitness, identified as Isaiah, said: “I was coming back from church when I saw a crowd gathered behind a house close to mine. I became curious and went to see what was happening there.

    “What I saw there was disgusting and annoying; a dog was eating a new born baby on a refuse dump.

    “From the look of things and from what I heard, the baby was abandoned alive. It was an ugly sight to behold.

    “How can someone do this to an innocent child? It’s so bad and inhumane.”

    Isaiah added that some of the onlookers dug a shallow pit and buried the remains of the baby beside the dump.

    The traditional Chief of Gwallameji, Hassan Ibrahim, confirmed the incident.

    “I got a call informing me of the incident, but I told the person I was not around. When I called back, I was told the Wakilin Sarkin Gwallameji (representative of the traditional Chief of Gwallameji), Sanusi Mohammed, was already there.

    “Since he was there, I continued what I was doing knowing that he will handle everything well. As I speak now, I haven’t met him for information about the incident,” Ibrahim said.

    Efforts to reach the police were unsuccessful.

  • How Citizen Danjuma survived 35 days on dumpsite

    How Citizen Danjuma survived 35 days on dumpsite

    For over 30 days, 25-year- old Danjuma was atop a refuse heap. He was fed secretly by a 14-year-old girl, Sarah Okoro and sympathetic neighbours. Danjuma’s story, said sources, is that of rejection and struggle.

    Officials of Edo State Ministry of Women and Social Development did nothing to get him out of the dumpsite.

    Danjuma was born a paraphelgic. His father, according to him, is a native of Ndoma, Benue State. His late mother, Kate, was an official of the moribund Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) . The father’s whereabout is unknown.

    It was gathered that Danjuma’s predicament began when his mother died in 2007 and his care fell on the late mother’s relatives.

    Sources said Danjuma was taken in by his aunt. A neighbour said Danjuma’s mother left some substantial amount in her account for the upkeep of her son.

    A life of rejection and torture began for Danjuma after the money left by his mother was said to have been spent. Danjuma’s aunt living at Ugbiyoko was said to taken him to his uncle who lives at their family residence on Oza Street, off Sakponba Road.

    A tenant at the family’s residence told our reporter that the uncle known as Arase was peeved that Danjuma was brought to his residence after all the money left for his upkeep has been spent.

    The tenant said the uncle took Danjuma to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) and abandoned him there. The university management was said to have returned Danjuma to the uncle after many months.

    According to the tenant, “The uncle threw him out and left him in the backyard. Danjuma was inside the rain and sun. The place is flooded. Whenever it rained , Danjuma would be inside. If any of us wanted to take Danjuma out, the uncle would threaten to beat us.”

    It was further learnt that the uncle threw Danjuma on top the  refuse heap to prevent people from caring for him.

    Neighbour were aware of Danjuma’s plight but did nothing to rescue him.

    Pastor Infeanyi Anyanli said they used to give Danjuma bread and food secretly to avoid being caught by the uncle.

    Miss Okoro took pity on Danjuma and bravely provided meals for him despite repeated beatings by the uncle.

    The wheel chair used by Danjuma was destroyed by the uncle at the refuse heap.

    The Coordinator of Forum of Women in Politics (FONWIP) Mrs. Florence Igbinigie, told reporters that the uncle was annoyed that family members who collected the N6m left by Danjuma’s mother brought him to his house without any money.

    According to her, “Danjuma would be inside the flood and sun. The wheel chair he used was thrown away. The man threatens to deal with anybody who gives him food.”

    “I have reported to the Woman Affairs Ministry and they are yet to take action. The boy needs medical care and rehabilitation. He can still do something.”

    Mrs. Igbinigie lamented the slow rescue efforts by the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Police  and the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

    She said the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the zone said it was not within their responsibility to rescue Danjuma from the heap.

    The letter she wrote to these organisations reads: “I wish to draw your urgent attention to a 25-year-old physically challenged who was thrown into a dustbin behind their house at number 12 Oza Street, off Sakponba Road by his uncle, Mr. Arase.

    “As we tried to approach the house, the said uncle paid a deaf ear to us and was almost attacking us; so, we had to run for our dear lives. Due to that kind of attitude, we suspect more harm can be done to the boy if urgent step is not taken. Hence we write you to please intervene to protect the life of this boy and seek justice for this inhuman treatment meted to him.

    “Please use your office to help rehabilitate the boy. We have been caring for him since we learnt about the incident. Rescue came for Danjuma last Thursday when he was taken to the Faith Mediplex on Airport Road in Benin City.”

    He is being treated for malaria, sepsis, urinary tract infection and cholera. Doctors said Danjuma’s survival on the refuse heap was an act of God.

    On the hospital bed, Danjuma’s first words were: “My uncle put me for dustbin.”

    He said he was yet to comprehend why his mother’s relatives mistreated him when the mother cared for them when she was alive.

    Danjuma, who said he stopped at primary five, said he suffered more when he was staying with his aunt.

    He disclosed that his mother’s properties were at Ibadan and that the relatives would collect them if they knew the location.

    He tried to spell his father’s name but could not.

    “My mummy sister beat me very well. She put me outside and I slept outside in cold for many days. She took me to my uncle and my uncle returned me to her. She called two soldiers who took me back to my uncle.

    “I feel better and I am eating well now. I asked my mother: ‘where is my father?’ She said he went to Port Harcourt. My father is an Ndoma. I schooled at Ibadan. I ended my education in primary five. My mummy said I should stop because we were going back to Benin.

    “My mummy had money. She cared for her people. My mummy’s sister lives at Ugbiyoko. She kept me in the cold. I was outside for many days in the cold. My uncle beat me. He threw me on the ground. If I show you my back, it is peeled. My uncle took me back to my aunt’s place. She called two soldiers who carried me to my uncle place. I can read when it is written down.”

    Miss Okoro, who was at the hospital looking after Danjuma, was all tears when she was informed that she was too young to care for him.

    “Why did they say I should leave Danjuma? I am from Delta State. They kept him at the back of our house. I cannot be at home and see him not  eating. I used to hear him shouting: ‘I am hungry, I am hungry’. I then took food to him. The uncle stopped us from feeding him. My brother and I  fed him. The uncle used stone to hit my brother but my mother told us not to give up. The uncle beat me one day.”

    There was a drama on who was responsible for the rescue of Danjuma as two NGOs, Face to Face Empowerment Initiative and FONWIP clashed over who was responsible for the rescue of Danjuma.

    Mr. Curtis Ugbo Eghosa of Face to Face said he was taken aback when he heard a voice from atop the refuse heap, saying: ‘I am here’. He was almost dying when we saw him. He talked faintly and I felt we should take him immediately.

    “I was called that somebody was on a refuse heap. I was really surprised to see man’s inhumanity to man in this age. I felt we cannot leave the man there. The wheel chair was destroyed. We took him to Central hospital but they were on strike. I took him to another hospital and there was no space; so, we brought him here.

    “The hospital asked Mrs. Igbinigie why she waited for so long before the rescue on the day I went there. That boy would have died the next day. Her only quarrel was that I did not mention her name when I spoke to the press.”

    But, Mrs. Igbinigie said she was responsible for the rescue of Danjuma.

    She said: “The hospital management was shocked when I brought out the receipt for deposit payment. I have never seen this kind of thing in my life. My NGO has been on for a long time. People want to be in NGO to claim other people’s credit.”

    She vowed to take on the Commissioner of Police and the National Human Rights Commission for the delay in  the arrest of Danjuma’s uncle.

    Police spokesman DSP Uwoh Noble said he was yet to be properly briefed about the incident.

    A Director in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed that they were aware of Danjuma’s case but said the state government had no place to keep him.

    The Director said they were discussing with an NGO, Project Charilove but that the NGO was making things difficult for the  government.

    “Please meet our commissioner to hear from her on why we have not gone there. The Permanent Secretary is also aware of the situation,” the director said.

    The administrator of the hospital, Prof. Doreen Babog, promised that the hospital would do its best to ensure that Danjuma got good health care.