allAfrica.com: Nigeria: A Community's Environmental Albatross (Page 1 of 2)

Onigbedu, a community in Ogun State, is currently facing major environmental crises due to alleged unlawful operation of the limestone-mining companies there. But its residents have warned against the resort to Niger Delta option if the companies refuse to dance to their tune. Gboyega Akinsanmi writes

Pa Ramon Akinmade hails from Onigbedu, a rustic village in Ogun State endowed with limestone and other precious stones. He is now 85 years, and has been practicing subsistent farming in his hometown for more than six decades. He still has a wide expanse of cocoa plantation from which he is supposed to be generating income for his upkeep.

But the exploitation of limestone, which began in the village 13 years ago, has dimmed this hope. He said the resource was supposed to bring the farmers in the community relief. Rather he claimed it had been a threat to their lives and the generations unborn because of alleged illegal acquisition of their land and exploitation of the natural resources therein.

When THISDAY visited him last week, Pa Akinmade lamented the threat the exploitation of the natural endowment had posed to the community and its dwellers at large. He said he was forced to abandon his cocoa plantation, his major source of income due to uncontrolled blasting of limestone by cement-manufacturing companies operating in the village

He said the companies (among which Gateway Holding Limited, PureChem Nigeria Limited, Poreciliean Wears Ltd, Royal Ceiling, Gilmore Engineering Limited and Roofing Ltd and Gateway Mining Limited) had been in the community without due compensation for the traditional land owners and without due respect to their human rights, especially right to live and safe environment.

He explained how the operation of the companies threatened livelihood, and life too had become unbearable because of environmental problems and health hazard their operations had caused since the factories started work at different times in the 1990s. He claimed he did not lease or sell any piece of land to any person, but was surprised that several acres of land were occupied by five operating companies in the village.

He said he was disturbed because the cement-manufacturing companies in the village claimed they had paid for "our land and the natural resources. But the companies have not paid us apart from the environmental problem and health hazard their operations had caused.

"We heard they have paid us, but we have not received a dime from any company. Every family has its portion of family land. Out of 60 families in Onigbedu, only six were paid a token of N5, 000 each. I too collected N5, 000, but could not have sold my cocoa plantation and other acres of land I was once using to cultivate rice, cassava and maize for such a meager amount. We have told them to leave our land, they refused," he explained.

Still active in his 80s, Pa Akinmade conducted THISDAY round his house built several years ago still well maintained. He pointed to all parts damaged by cement mills that settled on the roofing sheet. He was worried about the collateral damage the exploitation of limestone "is currently causing without due compensation and attention to health hazard it is causing.

"My roofing sheet is being eaten up. The water we drink is polluted. We can no longer access our farmland. Our lives are just ebbing away fast under the intensive operation of the companies in Onigbedu. For instance, we now shout before passing across message to a person at a close range because of the noisy environment their operations had caused. We have complained overtimes, but it appears they have the backing of the government," he stated.

Pa Kasumu Akinbode too is another subsistent farmer in Onigbedu. He recounted his ordeal since the limestone-mining companies commenced commercial production of cement in the village. He added that their operation had been of benefit to the community at large. He said the companies had been irresponsible despite that "PureChem alone produce 8,000 bags of cement per day."

He was sitting under an oak tree in front of his mud house in the cool evening of last Friday when THISDAY paid visit to Onigbedu. His grand children were playing around him, oblivious of environmental hazards the operation of the limestone-mining companies were causing.

He pointed to the roof of his six-room house, which was encrusted with cement mills which were visible on all objects, plants and roofs. He said it was unfair the way the companies "are treating them in their fatherland. We do not deserve this kind of treatment."

He touched one of the plants and his palm became whitish, indicating that the community "is under the perpetual downpour of cement mills which has now become a major feature of the community. He later explained that it was the mills from the operations of the cement plants located close to the residential areas against the operational requirements for establishing fact.

Pa Akinbode said he had always been a farmer, and had utilized both the land he inherited from his father and that which he bought by himself for the same purpose. He added that most of the land has been taken away from him. He said: "the people in the community are afraid because besides being denied of land to farm, they may end up not having enough to be inherited by his children."

web allafrica.com	Enter your search terms	Submit search form
OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine


Use our pull-down menus to find more stories