By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
The pictures you see are not from movies; they are real life photos of distressed children locked inside a school in Lagos by persons who claim to be part of a taskforce on the enforcement of environmental laws in Itire Ikate Local Council Development Authority (LCDA) of the state.
They invaded some schools while in session few days after resumption, demanding that money be paid for fumigation of the school premises or risk a shutdown.
Saturday Sun learnt that most of the schools visited were those who failed to pay the sum of N30, 000 to a government-approved firm responsible for the fumigation of schools in the local government area. Each school is expected to pay N120, 000 yearly. This instruction was made known to the schools in a notice typed on the council’s letterhead signed by the owner of the Fooju Fumigants Enterprise, Mrs Ayinke Ojuola.
It stated: “In furtherance to enhancement of public sanitation and safety in all educational institutions against pests and vermin of public health importance within and around the school premises, hence the need for this notice.
“The National Environmental Health practice regulation guidelines on pest control that mandated all school owners/occupiers to carry out fumigation and de-ratification of their school premises on regular (quarterly) intervals in compliance with policy guidelines on pest and vector control unit of the Federal Ministry of Environment destruction of mosquitoes and vector ordinances.
“In this regard, it has been revealed that your establishment /school premises has not carried out fumigation and de-ratification exercise for both first and second quarter of 2022. On this note, you are required to make necessary arrangement with consultant on pest control for Itire Ikate LCDA (Fooju’s Fumigant Enterprise) at 29/47 Airways Ijeshatedo, Surulere and effect payment of the sum of N30,000 within seven days of receipt of the notice for compliance.” Some of the schools affected during the enforcement visit include Glory Crown schools, Prims Nursery and Primary School, Labo Memorial Schools, Graceland schools, Verifort Nursery and Primary and Tree of Knowledge Nursery and Primary School.
Saturday Sun findings revealed that while the clampdown on those private schools lasted, none of the public schools within that axis was fumigated. Neither was a similar letter issued to them by the council. Some of the public schools visited include Itire Community Secondary Schools, Baruwa Nursery and Primary School, Adeniran Primary School and Ijeshatedo Boys Secondary School. The teachers who spoke on the condition that their names would not be mentioned told Saturday Sun that the last time such was extended to the schools was during the COVID-19 lockdown.
One of the senior teachers (names withheld) at Baruwa Nursery and Primary school said: “You don’t need my name to confirm this fact. Just ask around. We cannot pay them, so none of them will come to our school. It is good that you are asking around because it is only God and our little effort at keeping the school clean that is saving us.”
Verifort’s story
One of the schools who had their gate locked while in session was Verifort Academy, Ijesha. The Executive Director, Kayode Oyeleye who spoke with Saturday Sun wondered why schools are forced to make use of government approved fumigation firm when they had already done it, even with certificates issued.
His words: “I own a school on Ilamoye Street, Ijeshatedo and the area has a poor drainage setting, but within our area, we did all we could to make the place good for use. Ever since this school was established, LCDA people come in various ways to ask for money in the name of levies. One of such is the Radio and Television Levy and the latest among them is for fumigation. They come with all kinds of letters purported from the LCDA, most of which are not signed, just to extort money from us. All these unnecessary levies are not helping small business owners to strive.
“Two weeks ago, some people came and said they were here for fumigation. I told them that I have done it in the past and they said that it must be done by an accredited consultant. I have done fumigation and I have the certificate issued which I can present if asked.
“When they were asked to identify themselves, they got angry and use chains to lock the gate. The children had to squeeze themselves out through the small space they could find after closing time. I had to call the consultant whose name was seen in the letter and told her that there is a pregnant woman trapped in my office. It was then that she ordered her people to open the gate. How can you lock children inside the premises in the name of enforcement? I was not ready to offer anything to them as others would do. I knew that their action was not legal because it looked strange that a private establishment will use the letterhead of a government parastatal to enforce and extort money from schools.
“I ignored them and few days later, some persons who identified themselves as environmental officers came with cameras, claiming to inspect the environment. I believe they came because of the resistance and the fact that I queried the authenticity of their earlier mission. Luckily, rain fell that day and they saw how flooded the streets were. They also saw the efforts that I put in place to wash away the dirty water that entered the school compound. “Instead of attacking us, they should do something about those flooded streets. The way they are going about their activities is bad, they are out against those doing small business by extorting them. If you are ready to offer bribe, then you don’t have any fault.” According to Mr Oyeleye, his concerns were that there is no guarantee that the quality of chemicals used would do a proper fumigation of the area if contracted. “If it is certificate that they want, I can get a professional fumigation company that will do it and I will get the certificate for them. I spoke with the consultant that day and she insisted that her firm was the only one recognized by the council.
“Secondly, it is not right to come during the weekend to fumigate a class that children would use on Monday. It is supposed to be done when one is sure that the children would be away for a whole week.
“They are using it to extort money legally and illegally. We need to look into the fact, go to the LCDA, you will see piles of refuse right behind their building and they are talking about cleanliness. I resisted because there is mediocrity. They meet others and they panic. I can bribe my way out but I am not going to do that.”
Meanwhile, days after the second visit by the council’s taskforce to Verifort School, a civil court summon was issued to the school. In the summons dated September 15, 2022, the local council dragged Verifot School before the Itire Customary Court, alleging obstruction of officer from performing lawful duties and no evidence of fumigation in 2022. The owner of the school was expected to appear in court on September 27, 2022.
Also recounting her experience, the proprietor of Tree of Knowledge Nursery and Primary School, Mrs Ogunwa, told that it took the intervention of the Association of Private Schools to get the task force officials to open the gate. “We were still in session for the day when they visited. They locked our gates and insisted that we should pay N30,000 quarterly for fumigation. “We later paid and they did the fumigation over the weekend. I am not against what they came to do, but the amount that they are collecting is outrageous. In Mushin area, they pay as low as N15, 000. Government should note that the cost of running schools is very high and most schools in some areas are battling to survive with the little money that they generate from school fees. “Government should come and work on the drainages in Ijeshatedo, as our compounds get flooded anytime it rains. This should be their main primary assignment because we cannot control flooding if it comes from the streets,” she stated.
Fumigation is a must-LCDA
When contacted, the consultant in charge of the fumigation and owner of Foojus Fumigants, Mrs Ayinke Ojuola insisted that the people who came for the enforcement were official of Itire Ikate LCDA. “I am just the consultant. Please go to the local government for any information that you need as regards to fumigation exercise,” she stated.
Reacting to the controversial recent shutdown of schools in the Itire/Ikate LCDA, Mr Dayo Sorunmu who introduced himself as an environmental health officer attached to the LCDA stated that recent clamp down affected schools who failed to abide by law. “It is stipulated in Lagos State law that both private and public schools should be fumigated. It is not restricted to any school. Schools are to be fumigated every quarter; companies are to be fumigated every three months. The purpose is to eradicate pest or other things of public or health importance. Mosquitoes are not to bite our children.
“Schools, immediately they vacate, their schools are fumigated. I was in a school and they have bedbugs in their dormitories. If they have been fumigating, children will not bring bedbugs from their homes. “Fumigation can be carried out during weekends when no one is around. After seven hours the chemical has lost its effect and the environment where it was sprayed can be used by anyone.” On why the public schools were not affected, Mr Sorunmu insisted that the reporter must have visited schools that were yet to be fumigated.
Why Verifot was sealed
On why the council decided to shut down Verifot Primary School, the media and publicity team of the Itire Ikate LCDA had in a statement posted on its Facebook page stated that the decision was taken because the school flouted environmental laws.
“There is need to seal up these facilities so as to put an end to environmental nuisance currently experienced in private schools. “The violations include no evidence of fumigation for first, second and third quarters of 2022; filled-up septic tank, erection of illegal structures, accumulation of miscellaneous articles, retention of rain/storm water and other environmental offences
“It is disheartening that despite efforts of this administration to provide an enabling and sustainable environment to residents, people still go ahead violating the environmental laws of the state, whereas a filthy environment poses threats to lives especially at places of learning because when sickness comes, it knows no boundaries. “As operators of schools of learning, proper waste disposal is a way of exercising their responsibilities as well as giving concrete support to the government and putting an end to the scourge of filthy environment.
“Private school owners are encouraged to sustain habits of cleanliness and make it a daily affair to ward off any form of diseases and the importance of having a clean, safe and healthy environment while also giving them stern warning to comply with the environmental sanitation laws. or else would face its wrath,” the statement noted.