THE Delta State Government alleged yesterday plan by unidentified people to dump toxic waste in the country, purportedly believed to be coming from Ukraine.
It has therefore directed all the twenty five local government chairmen in the state to be on the red alert so as not to be taken unawares.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr. Fred Majemite, told newsmen there have been illegal quarrying, and mining going on within the state.
"We are sounding a very strong note of warning that those involved should desist from it. We have observed there have been a lot of dredging going on without proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out. Government frowns strongly at it", he stated.
On the imminent dumping of waste from overseas, Majemite said: "Recently we got an alert that a company from somewhere in the Northern bloc is looking for somewhere to dump their toxic waste in Nigeria. We have sent the message to all the local governments that they should watch out.
"The alert which came from NEMA in Abuja", he said, "did not specify exactly which part of the country the vessel conveying the waste will dump it but merely said in Nigeria.
And because we had a similar experience before with the Koko toxic dump, the State Government is taking it seriously; more so what happened in Kwale recently.
Once we hear anything about toxic waste we don't take chances that is why we are saying that everybody must be on the alert", he stated.
In addition, the Adviser said that the state government will soon set up what he called Compliance Monitoring Committee which should move round.
"It is going to be an independent body from the others to blow the whistle when there are problems so that at least those who are involved are called if it is a thing the state cannot handle we can channel it to the appropriate authority to do that.
There will also be massive enlightenment campaign very soon to sensitise our people on the need to maintain high standard in the management of the environment both in the area of pollution, deforestation and so forth", he added.
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I would've hoped that by now, African leaders shall have learned a lesson from the Ivorian experience where an unscrupulous business entity allowed toxic dumps on its shores, thus contributing to a severe environmental hazzard to citizens of Ivory Coast. Are we to believe that the Nigerian Navy is so weak that it cannot police its territorial waters to see who may be willfully contaminating its pristine eco-system? Or, have our business men and women become so compromised that they would do anything for acquiring the almighty dollar, even to the extent of allowing carcinogenic materials to be dumped on its shores for our very fragile and poor populace to deal with? It is not the responsibility of the Delta State government to warn its citizens to watch out for polluters rather, it is the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure that its airspace, sea and land mass are not tampered with, by elements whose interests run counter to the commonweal of the general population. To suggest that citizens of the State should be on the look out for polluters is to imply that the Federal government is so weak that all the chatters in Abuja amounts to nothing more than political grandizing. What could a citizen do after spotting a ship carrying a supposed toxic material in Nigeria's territorial waters? Carry placard on the high sea requesting that they do not dump? Would the Nigerian Navy please stand up and be counted?