“Oworonshoki is one of the areas, where dumping of refuse in water body has become a sustained practice. Most people dump all manner of rubbish in the water, believing that they are disposing them but this filth are found floating on the waters and what we get in return is a stinking and germ infested water.
“Sometimes, the stench from the water is unbearable but there is nothing one can do about it because involving Lagos State Government in this may cause more damage. The government can decide to treat us like Maroko people.
I think it’s better for us to keep on managing until the rains come,” said a resident of the sprawling Lagos suburb, Mr. Mojeed Ogunbunmi. Like Ogunbunmi, other residents of Oworonshoki, those living at the foot of the Third Mainland Bridge, are in quagmire, which they have retired to fate to resolve.
They believe that involving government to rid the water of its rubbish and stinking water around their dwellings would lead to an unhealthy situation, where eviction and demolition of homesteads would be the resultant effect. For them, with the coming of the rainy season, the stench would be over as the fast flowing water would replace the stagnant smelly one.
But one thing they fail to realise is that the same filth that fast flowing water moves away from their environment will go to other areas with low current or tributaries. However, during Sunday Telegraph’s visits to a number of beaches, waterways and canals, three major factors were discovered to be responsible for the dirtiness of Lagos waterways and shorelines. One of which is, dumping of refuse in the body of waters or canals, which eventually finds its way to the main lagoon and creeks that make up 22% of the 3,577 km2 of the state.
Again, faecal waste disposal in the water, which in most cases, makes the water to produce foul smell and gives rise to water hyacinth, which disrupts water transportation is another point to consider. Wreckages in the waterways are other contributors to the dirtiness of shores, Sunday Telegraph learnt. “If you come to Kirikiri Canal, which runs from Apapa through Mazamaza to Ago Palace Way in Okota, you will discover that some aspects of the canal are brownish on colour, while the other parts are dark as a result of industrial waste (oil silt) from Apapa and discharge of faecal waste in the canals,” said Sir Ayandare Forunsho, who lives at Old Ojo Road.
According to the Knight of St. Molumba, those parts that are dark are so because the sewage management authorities usually discharge faecal waste in them. In most cases, they claim that discharges are not harmful to the aqua lives but what happens to the stench that comes from it?
“If you look at the axis, you will discover some wreckages and abandoned boats, belonging to sand miners and sellers. All of them in one way or the other affects the cleanliness of the shore. Nigerian water shores are about the dirtiest in the world and it’s due to these attitudes,” he added.
A visit to Victoria Island, under the bridge connecting CMS and Victoria Island, on the left, where some fishermen operate, while facing Bonny Camp, a lot of rubbish, including empty plastic bottled water containers, plastic coke containers, pure water and ice cream wrappers among other things were seen floating on the water. On the right side, towards the Yacht Club, is no difference.
Also, under the Liverpool Bridge, Apapa, where women sell fresh fish, food items and others, are public toilets that empty their raw contents directly into the water without any form of treatment, generating an unpleasant smell around the vicinity.
The area is also a boat park where people board both speed and pole driven boats to their various destinations. Sunday Telegraph also noticed a number of wreckages dotting the water around the vicinity. According to Mrs. Adebimpe Sotumi, the foul smell that comes from that axis was a result of dumping spoilt fish and dirty things in the water, especially when the water is not flowing well, which is presently the case. On swimming at the lower end of the water might be dangerous as the person might become entangled by fishing nets and other things floating in the water. An environmentalist, Mr. Uzochukwu Araonu, said: “All over the world, canals are being used for transportation but in Nigeria, this is not obtainable because of dirtiness of the people.
It’s in Nigeria that you will find full condemned vehicles in water and in canals or heavy irons. “Then, there used to be heavy irons and iron sheets in Ladipo canals in Mushin until the government of Babatunde Raji Fashola took a decisive step to stop it. Nigeria water bodies, especially Lagos are filled with dirt. Canals are being cleared in such a way that it does not hinder the movement of small boats in other countries.
When the waterways are dirty, it affects a number of things.” Makoko is another area of concern, where piles of rubbish float outside their shacks. Shabby shacks on stilts, floating waste and rickety boats fill the expanse of murky water at Makoko. But in July, 2015, the Lagos State Government began demolishing some parts of the slum. A letter was served on residents giving them 72 hours to vacate their properties.
The letter from the Lagos State authorities said the illegal constructions constituted an environmental nuisance, security risk and an impediment to the economic and gainful utilisation of the waterfront and undermined the megacity status of Lagos. Although some houses were demolished in July, there are people, who live there. The slum is clearly visible to traffic speeding past on the city’s Third Mainland Bridge each day.
Nigeria has over 800km of coastline, much of it extensively littered. In the last 25 years, an estimated 144, 606, 491 pounds of trash was removed from beaches worldwide and researchers have said that about 80 per cent of marine litter originates on land, and most of it is non-biodegradable, noting that plastic pollution causes, at least, $13billion damage each year to industries including fishing, shipping, tourism and the cleaning of coastlines. Quoting 2014 report by the United Nations Environment Summit, Beach Samaritans Co-Founder and environmentalist, Adesola Alamutu, said it’s easy to see how the recyclable items, especially the non-biodegradable items, impinge on the economy and cost it money, saying there is a lull in beach tourism and even the locals, who live five minutes away from the beach don’t visit.
Also, a visit to Regal Seaview Beach in Lekki, the litter that filled the beach, tainting its glorious view, has become common place in most beaches in Lagos. With every wave, tons of dirt is flushed out to the seashore, sometimes leaving a stench that puts even residents, visitors off the beach.
What used to be the number one spot for relaxation has generally been relegated. But for a few private and exclusive beaches, most others harbour traders and people, who build shanties on the beach which are used for various activities. Beaches in Lagos have evidently become trash haven, ignored by many, but totally noticed by founders of Beach Samaritans- Pelu Awofeso and Adesola Alamutu.
In a particular clean up to commemorate the International Coastal Cleanup, the environmentalist, Alamutu said: “We have to clean up our shores and waters for our sake. We are doing this for our environment, for our tourism and for our collective health. This is our sixth cleanup activity in the past one year, and we are delighted that we have had the support of hundreds of volunteers and some sponsors this far.” This is a little contribution to the big problem of dirty beaches and sea shores.
Unfortunately, what we see dirtying beaches and floating on the ocean’s surface is just the tip of the iceberg. Much more lies unseen beneath the surface and far away on the open water — but that doesn’t make it any less important. She said: “But the beaches I see after the clean-up actually look more appealing. The first clean-up I attended was on Saturday September 19, 2015. I went to the Regal Seaview and met the enthusiastic bunch at Beach Samaritans and another group – Kids Clean Club – heaping black bags with trash-recyclable items. “We dug in, slid the rubber gloves on and helped pile on the bags. This was real, empty bottles, slippers, containers that could all be recycled.
That particular clean up was to commemorate the International Coastal Cleanup and it was memorable, an event I was proud to be part of because there was action, not mere talking.” At Igunmu, around National Theatres, there is yet another pool of water, which has been in existence for long.
This is where one finds real dirt, silt and stench. During the Governorship candidate debate, the second term bid of Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola as the Governor of Lagos State, he made mention of this particular water, saying it was an ecological threat. In responding to a question in that regard from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former President, Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, Fashola said he was going to open up the water to let in air by causing oxygen bubble to eliminate the stench but that has remained the same after he had left office. However, Lagos State Government has warned residents that anybody caught contravening the laws guiding disposal of waste water in the state would henceforth face wrath of the law.
The Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Samuel Adejare, the negative attitude of the average Lagosian to waste water management posed a challenge to the implementation of the government’s development plan in the sector. He said: “The State government was determined to build on existing infrastructure to recycle waste water. The Lagos State Waste Water Masterplan, which covers the years 2015 to 2040 has immediate, medium and long term intervention and strategies to address the challenges in the sector.”
He noted that the government is walling of the rivers/canals from dwelling places with barb wires to ensure that people don’t get access to the canals and water bodies in the state. In the same manner, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has called on residents of the state, especially those living along rail and water corridors not to treat it as a dumping ground.
While emphasising Lagos State government’s unalloyesd commitment towards effective waste management, the Authority warned that anyone caught violating the environmental sanitation laws through such illegal dumping will face the full wrath of the law. The Authority reaffirmed its call on people, who own properties and shops on major roads and highways to comply with government’s directive to secure covered containers for proper disposal of their refuse. They are also being reminded not to patronise cart-pushers but urged to use only PSP operators for the evacuation of their wastes.
