HUMANITY: How waste water drowned five communities in Oke Aro, Ogun State

…..Residents in dilemma cry out
The flood in the compound and living rooms in the pictures on this page is not from the rains of heaven. Residents of the affected area have not, at any time, asked for “showers of blessing”.

Believe it or not, the waters are uninvited “stay-put” guests from the Adiyan Water Works, the Ogun State based station of the Lagos State Water Corporation – and the victims are residents of five communities in the Oke Aro area of Ifo Local Government area of Ogun State. The worst hit is Iludun community, Matogun Road, Agbado, Oke-Aro.

Following the incessant release of waste water from Adiyan Water Works, residents of the five affected communities – Iludun, Alade, Orisunmibare, Magbara and Moboluwaduro, on Monday, July 10, 2017, staged a peaceful protest to register their anger and frustration over what they described as untold hardship brought upon them by Lagos stated owned Adiyan Water Works, situated at Agbado, Ogun
state, but no positive response came from Lagos State Government.

Chairman of Iludun community, Evangelist Olade Odulana, lamented that the wastewater from Adiyan water works has made life miserable for every one of them.

“Our environment and properties have been destroyed. We have complained for over two years now, and our pleas and complaints have fallen on deaf ears.’’

Genesis of the problem
Some of the affected house owners, Mr. Makinde and Mrs Afolabi disclosed the root cause with our correspondent: First, the water company channels its waste water through these communities to a nearby river.

Now, the great volume of the waste water became so much that over time, the access route to the river became totally blocked.

The channel route has now become a very deep and wide gully that has grown big trees which become death traps in an area where thousands of people dwell.

A bridge over the river has also been blocked as the gap between river and bridge is no longer up to two feet due to the rise in water level which has risen up to eight feet above its normal height.

Attributing the problems to negligence and the nonchalant attitude of Lagos state Water Corporation, the residents say all the Lagos State government needed to do “Is to dredge the river the more, because it was dredged last about nine years ago.

Instead, they abandoned it, forcing us into this endless, inhuman condition. This destruction has rendered us homeless these two years, yet Lagos and Ogun state governments have turn deaf ears to all their complaints,” they said.

“See, the waste water which has now flooded our homes and communities has grounded most of the daily activities that make us part of the human community,” Afolabi lamented.

“Fish now swim in our rooms!’’, cried 11-year-old Bola Arogundade. “I can no longer go to school because our home is destroyed and even our school has been overtaken by flood. We don’t have a place to stay anymore.”

Another resident, Taye Arogundade, painted a pathetic picture of the situation. “There is no dangerous animal we have not seen.

We have seen scorpions and pythons; what we won’t wait to see before we act is crocodile! The sad thing about the wastewater they release is the fact that the water is not ordinary water we know; it has chemicals that are very dangerous to one’s skin.

“All I have laboured for all my life have been destroyed. I used to have a house I built, but I now sleep in the church or anywhere the night meets me,” he said.

The Lagos State Government story
When our correspondents visited the Lagos State Water Corporation, a top official who spoke in confidence, said steps were underway to bring the situation under control, but there is an unresolved issue on ground.

“I hate to say certain things, but in a situation like this, I am compelled to talk. Some of the houses affected in the communities were built on lands that originally belong to Lagos State Water Corporation, but so-called Baales connived with people and sold the land to unsuspecting buyers, and some projects we are supposed to embark on have been stalled by this development.”

Denying the allegation, Odulana said, “It’s not true that the houses affected are on lands owned by government. We are talking about five communities here. They have their land fenced. All the places affected can’t be in government’s master plan.’’

Chairman of Iludun community, Evangelist Olade Odulana accuses Governor Ambode of insensitivity to their plight.

“Can Lagos state government accept this? See how the waste waters have been destroying our properties, damaging our environment and rendering many of us homeless for over two years now.

“We have exhausted all channels to plead for intervention but authorities have turned deaf ears to all our complaints. Every day, they release high velocity waste water and the flood breaks into our homes as you can see in these photographs.

Governor Ambode is keeping Lagos clean while building it up to become a mega city, but see how he is drowning us in Oke-Aro, damaging our environment.

See how they are dealing with citizens of another state from where they produce clean water Lagosians drink.”

A desperate plea to Gov Amosu
“Governor Ibikunle Amosu, we are your citizens. Please don’t forsake us. Come and deliver us from the hand of oppressors. We are crying for help.

We are not refugees or aliens; we are your own native people. If Lagos State Government wants to annihilate us, please arise and Save Our Souls,” the Evangelist pleaded.

Stop Press: News reaching our features desk confirms that in a move to correct this situation, the Lagos State Government has ordered the demolition of all the buildings along the affected areas and the bulldozing is ongoing as you read this.