Nigeria: Military Officer Accused of Dumping Hazardous Waste in Ogun Compound
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
Mrs. Olubunmi Osanyinbi, an overseas-based Nigerian landlady, has accused a military officer, Colonel Philips Emmanuel, of polluting her house in Sango, Ado-Odo Local Government Area of Ogun State, with waste materials that have been dumped there for about three years.
According to Mrs. Osanyinbi, she sold a plot of land to Colonel Emmanuel in after being introduced to him by Pastor Gboyega, who informed her that he was a member of the Winners Chapel. She trusted him and believed that he would use the land for a small-scale business.
However, Mrs. Osanyinbi discovered that Colonel Emmanuel had betrayed her trust and confidence. He had been keeping waste materials on his plot of land, which had gradually spilled over to her own plot due to heavy rain. The situation was brought to her attention by a tenant living on her property who could no longer bear the stench emanating from the waste.
Efforts to resolve the issue have been , but Colonel Emmanuel has failed to fulfill his promise to remove the waste. He only removed a portion of it and even brought more waste onto the compound. Mrs. Osanyinbi expressed her frustration and called for government intervention to ensure that Colonel Emmanuel removes the waste from her property.
In response, Colonel Emmanuel claimed that the materials in question were not toxic waste but recyclable materials used in the production of diapers. He explained that he had bought the plot of land to store the recyclable materials until they could be moved to a recycling plant. He admitted that there had been negligence on the part of the person he hired to monitor the offloading of the materials, which led to the situation worsening.
Colonel Emmanuel assured that he had started the process of evacuating the materials and had already moved a significant amount. However, the rain had hindered further progress. He had made arrangements to dispose of the waste at a government dumpsite, but it was temporarily closed. He was also exploring other options to resolve the issue.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya, stated that he was not aware of the incident but promised to investigate the alleged environmental pollution. He emphasized the need to determine whether the waste was hazardous or not before taking appropriate action.
The dispute between Mrs. Osanyinbi and Colonel Emmanuel highlights the importance of proper waste management and the need for individuals to fulfill their responsibilities in maintaining a clean and healthy environment.
