Ololade Adeyanju/
The hazardous waste dump crisis in a residential area in Sango-Ota, Ogun State, which was created over three years ago by an army officer, Colonel Emmanuel Phillips, has led to the termination of the caretaker’s contract.
NewsmakersNG learnt that the contract of Gboyega Joshua was terminated after he allegedly told the aggrieved landlady to collect money from the officer and allow him the use of the house and environment as a dump site.
Surprised Mrs Olu Osanyinbi quoted her Caretaker as saying: “Stop talking to journalists. There’s nothing anyone can do to the officer. When he is ready to pack the hazardous trash, he will. Just collect N200,000 from him and let him continue using the whole house and the surrounding space.”
Mrs Osanyinbi wondered how Gboyega could offer such advice for her to give a 5-bedroom house with a boy’s quarters at N200,000 to the army officer he introduced to her. She has since terminated his contract.
The landlady, in conjunction with the community, called on the state government for immediate intervention as she faces severe discomfort from community pressure on her to dislodge the officer and his hazardous wastes, in order to prevent diseases and possible health breakdown.
Three years ago, Mrs. Osanyinbi sold one of her two plots of land to Colonel Emmanuel. The other one has a boys’ quarters on it. Instead of building a factory that can accommodate his business , Colonel Emmanuel is reportedly using the land to dump recyclable materials. Over time, these materials have spilled over onto Mrs. Osanyinbi’s remaining plot and the surrounding streets, creating an unsightly and hazardous situation for other landowners and residents in the community.
Mrs. Osanyinbi has repeatedly asked Col. Emmanuel to clear the materials, but despite his promises, the situation remains unchanged.
“It’s been three years of constant promises, but nothing has been done,” she said in a tearful appeal. “The waste is not just an eyesore; it’s creating a health hazard for people in the community.”
The tenants living in the boys’ quarters have packed out because of the stench coming from the waste. “The house is now empty and deteriorating. Nobody wants to rent it because of the condition of the compound.”
“Colonel Emmanuel offered to pay the rent for the boys’ quarters, but I said ‘NO’. He will mess it up the way he did the compound,” Mrs Osanyinbi said. “He told Pastor Gboyega, the man who introduced him to me, that I should stop reporting him that there’s nothing anyone can do to him that he will clear the compound whenever he’s ready.”
The overflowing waste has caused significant distress to other landowners, with the materials encroaching onto their properties and spilling onto the roads, making it difficult for vehicles and pedestrians to navigate the area.
In a bid to resolve the issue, Mrs. Osanyinbi contacted the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, urging him to compel Col. Emmanuel to take action. When reached for comment, the Commissioner said, “We have to follow due process. We don’t want to trample on people’s rights. After the investigation, we will give him 21 days to evacuate the materials. If he fails, we will give another seven days before enforcement.”
When asked how long the investigation would take, he responded; “Be assured of the needful.”
Col. Emmanuel, on his part, claimed that the rain had made it difficult to evacuate the materials due to the slippery ground. He promised that by October and November, the materials would be cleared.
He said, “Those things are wastes from pampers raw materials meant for recycling business. The machine that was expected got delayed. Unfortunately, rain fell on it, and those things swelled up and knocked down the fence, thereby rolling over to the other compound and to the road.
“I have contacted Kurata dumping ground. The place is slippery because of the rain. We are waiting for the dry season. I can beat my chest that the problem will be solved soon. I can write an undertaken. I am also building an oven to dry and burn the waste.”
As the community’s frustration grows, residents are rallying behind Mrs. Osanyinbi’s appeal for urgent government action. They hope that the Commissioner for Environment’s investigation will swiftly lead to the enforcement needed to clear the waste and restore order to their neighborhood.
I sold the plot of land to him through Pastor Gboyega Joshua when the Colonel said he wanted to build a small-scale factory.
He didn’t build any factory, he, instead forced my tenants to move out because of stench from his hazardous wastes.
Recounting the community’s efforts towards making Emmanuel evacuate the waste, Osanyinbi said; “Mr. Monday, Aliu, representative of the community, spoke with Emmanuel last year, and he told him that he had paid for crates to be used for the evacuation and that the waste would be cleared before December 2023.
“When a reporter contacted him, he promised to evacuate it before the end of June 2024.
” Now, this is August 2024. He is talking about the end of the year. Our good Governor should please intervene, ” she said.
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