Lagos Community Fears Cholera Spread, Demands Relocation

The Lagos community is concerned about the potential spread of cholera and is requesting relocation to a safer area.

Residents and employees in the Ojota region of Lagos State have expressed grave concerns regarding the deteriorating conditions at the Olusosun waste disposal site. They fear a possible cholera outbreak and are urgently requesting government intervention to address the situation.

Despite repeated commitments made by successive Lagos State governments since 2018 to relocate the Olusosun waste disposal site, the area continues to pose substantial health and environmental risks.

The unpleasant and persistent odor emanating from the landfill site has extended beyond the Ojota area, impacting neighboring communities such as Ikeja Secretariat, Iyana Oworo, and Ogudu. This situation has caused significant distress and discomfort among the residents of these communities.

During a recent visit to the waste disposal site, BrandIconImage engaged in conversations with local residents and workers who expressed escalating concerns regarding the potential impact of the ongoing cholera outbreak In the state on their community. They earnestly appealed to the government to promptly address this pressing situation, which has reached an intolerable level.

A worker in the region, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared his challenges with our correspondent, “The environment of this place is not nice. Whenever I come to work, I can’t eat because everywhere smells bad. Sometimes, I start feeling unwell because of the environment. I’m not comfortable with it. Sometimes, I fall sick and can’t even come to work. We need the government to do something about it.”

Likewise, an individual residing in the 7Up region, Suliaman Bakare, described the dire conditions, especially during the rainy season, explaining how bad the odour got whenever it rained in the area.

“This environment is very unpleasant. The odour is terrible, especially when it rains. We always wear nose masks. We can’t eat good food because flies and mosquitoes are everywhere. With the threat of cholera, this place is not good for anybody. We are begging the government to please do something about it.”

Furthermore, a notable community member, who requested anonymity, offered a historical overview of the region.

He said, “This place was once a police training college before it was converted to a refuse dump. In 2018, the former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, shut it down because it was not conducive to living, but the new government reopened it. The bad odour travels as far as the Ikeja Secretariat, depending on the wind direction and with the threat of cholera, this place is very bad.”

“We have companies producing food, drinks and even eatery around here, yet our government has refused to do something about it,” he added.

During our investigation, it was noted that a portion of the local population resides directly on the landfill site. Despite the challenging living conditions, many of these residents declined to engage in conversation with our representative, asserting their contentment with their current circumstances. They maintained that they conduct business, form marital unions, raise families, and generally lead normal lives within their community, despite the surrounding environment. Furthermore, they vehemently denied any instances of cholera within their vicinity.

With the recent cholera outbreak in Nigeria, healthcare professionals have issued grave warnings regarding the substantial risks associated with prolonged exposure to unsanitary conditions. The perilous nature of this disease, primarily transmitted through contaminated water sources, necessitates immediate attention. Medical experts emphasize the urgent imperative for enhanced sanitation measures and effective waste management protocols to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks.

As of June 24, 2024, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,528 suspected cholera cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 53 deaths across 107 local government areas in 31 states. This represents a case fatality rate of 3.5 percent since the beginning of the year.

The states that were most severely impacted include Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos.

In response to the concerns raised by the residents, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority inform the public that several measures have been implemented to address these issues.

The Public Affairs Director of LAWMA, Sade Kadiri, said on Monday that there have been no reported cases of cholera in that community to date.

“To date, we have not recorded any incidence of cholera at Olusosun or any other designated disposal facility across the state. However, recognising the potential risks, LAWMA has initiated comprehensive sensitisation programmes for our operatives and waste pickers,” she said.

July 02, 2024