Lagos abattoir residents seek removal of shanties
Residents residing around the abattoir in the Oko Oba area of Agege, Lagos State, have called on the government to remove shanties in the community due to alleged indiscriminate dumping of refuse and environmental pollution by the occupants.
he residents lamented that despite repeated complaints, the situation had persisted and left several parts of the neighbourhood littered with dirt.They also urged the state authorities to intervene and restore sanity to the community.One of them, Tokunbo Aderibigbe, who spoke to our correspondent during a visit to the community on Friday, lamented the heap of waste being cleared by residents in the community over time.He said, “We have been silent all the while, but it is the right time for us to speak up. Our premises have always been littered with the waste caused by those occupying the shanties. We clean a huge amount of waste here every day.
We have also warned them repeatedly on how they could properly dispose of the waste, but they kept on messing this whole place up and did not bother about our complaints.”When conducted around the area, the drainage and the surroundings of the buildings close to the abattoir, seen by our correspondent, were littered with dirt and faeces.Another resident, Aina Balogun, expressed fears that the unhygienic conditions could expose them to outbreaks of diseases if urgent measures were not taken.She said, “We do our best to make our surroundings clean, but the situation here is out of control, and what we fear for now is the possibility of disease being contracted from the unhygienic conditions of this place.
Just take a look at the faeces there, that is what we wake up to see almost every morning, despite the mobile toilet available around. Now tell me why you won’t fear for your health.”Also speaking on the development, a business owner, who pleaded anonymity, citing personal reasons, specifically noted that properties along the Abattoir road had been the worst affected by the situation.
The trader who also took time to conduct our correspondent along the road said, “Look at this building and see how the premises are littered with dirt. The owner is a retiree and he has complained severely, but now almost fed up. See the church over there, too; the same thing is being done to the premises. They deface with all kinds of dirt and urinate around. We are appealing to the government to clear the shanties and enforce proper waste disposal in this area.
”Also speaking on the intervention of the state government, a landlord, Tunji Komolafe, said the government had once taken action on the matter, but the occupants returned to the area.He said, “The government’s attention should not only be limited to inside the abbatoir alone, but the areas surrounding the facility itself should be looked into. The makeshifts are no longer needed here. Ordinarily, the fact that it is behind the rail track is even more dangerous. God forbid the train derails.”The Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adesina, did not respond to calls made to his telephone line on Monday. A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.
The Oko-Oba Abattoir, which hosts one of the busiest slaughterhouses in the state, has long battled environmental challenges.Apart from the waste generated by butchers and traders at the facility, residents said the influx of people into the area had led to the erection of illegal structures and poor sanitation.It was reported in June that the state government announced the immediate closure of Oko-Oba Abattoir over environmental violations and inappropriate operational practices.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, who expressed disappointment about the situation of the abattoir, admonished the operators for defying regulations.
