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• How residents live in environment polluted by fish smoking
By Vivian Onyebukwa
Ago-Egun is a secluded area in Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State. It is mostly inhabited by Egun-speaking people who originated from the Republic of Benin. It is an age-long waterlogged community. The entrance to the community has a well-fitted gate that gives it the look of an organised residential estate.
At the entrance is an imposing church building of the Celestial Church of Christ. It is arguably among the few good houses in the community. Most of the houses are constructed with wood and the floors are often flooded. The water is often black, and it stinks. Children in the community enjoy the environment without feeling the odds while the adults walk about in their rain boots.
Although they have adopted Yoruba as their official language, most of them understand and speak a bit of English. It is predominantly a fishing community, and smoking fish is a thriving trade, especially among the womenfolk.
At the residence of the Baale of Ago-Egun community, Akapo Aremo, the story of the sorry situation of the environment is not different. The place is dingy and flooded. One had to wade through the mucky water to enter his palace. He coughed persistently, leaving one with the impression that the smoke arising from the roasting of fish in the community may have taken a toll on his health.
Through an interpreter, he did not hesitate to request from the government to come up with an alternative way of drying fish in the community. He equally requested the construction of a good drainage system, more schools, hospitals, and electricity in the community.
Going down memory lane, the Baale narrated how the community came into being. He said: “When a helicopter dropped on the water during the civil war in 1967 was when this place was established. That was what attracted people to this place.”
How come the community has remained a slum since 1967, you wondered. The Baale shrugged, noting that the community had since then been waiting on the government, hoping for the delivery of its promises.
His words: “They have been coming, but they have not done anything. Rather, they have been asking us to develop this place by ourselves. It is only electricity that the government has been able to do out of all the promises made by politicians when they come to do campaigns. They also provided some water project, but because the land is not good for potable water, they did one and never came back.”
Prince Adeleke Amusa, the Community Development Treasurer, said he has managed to live with the discomfort in the community for 18 years. “I was evicted by my landlord, and therefore. I was badly in need of a house. I had to come down here to rent a house. Then one of my friends encouraged me to buy a piece of land here which I did. I then built my own house and started living with my wife and children.”
But Amusa stated that he was forced to move out of the house and the community only recently because of the health hazards he had been grappling with as a result of fish smoking.
“It started affecting my eye. My left eye does not see well and the doctor told me that I am inhaling smoke every time which is affecting my sight. He advised me to leave the environment, noting that if I did not, the smoke would continue to affect my eye. That was why I decided to move. But my land is still there, which I have converted to a farmland.”
During this year’s Air Quality Awareness Campaign Week, an annual event marked all over the world, the Air Quality Monitoring Research Group (AQMRG) of the University of Lagos paid a visit to Ago-Egun, Bariga to create awareness about air quality.
The Lead, Air Quality Monitoring Research Group (AQMRG), University of Lagos, Dr. Rose Alani noted that accessing the environment was not a palatable experience.
“It is really sad, especially during the rains like we had today. We all had to virtually swim in the water for us to get here. It is a pathetic situation, and I am very happy also that we have captured this with the media and we are going to report it, so that many people who do not know that this kind of experience exists, will also know. This is environmental justice we are talking about. It is a pathetic case. It is a case that needs to be taken as priority.”
Dr. Alani, who is an associate professor at the Department of Chemistry at the university, shared some tips with the community on how to keep a healthy air, with the belief that some of the people will adhere to the precautions.
“Within their own ability, I think they will adhere to the advice because life is something that people don’t play with. So it is something that is going to affect their lives and health, and we have touched some experiences they have been having, like itching of eyes, eye problem and so on. I think they will be conscious.
“We will have to find a way and see how we can help them alternatively. Any opportunity we have to do anything, we will remember this place. We have come and seen it by ourselves like today in the rain so we can see what you are going through. So we are feeling what you are feeling. That will help us to be able to really push,” she assured.
An air quality specialist, Dr. John Walter, who is also a member of the AQMRG, University of Lagos, said the group chose the community during this year’s Air Quality Awareness Campaign Week, because they are the major contributors of air pollution, in the sense that their day to day activities affect the air qualities of Bariga and its environs.
The expert said: “We have the air quality device sensors which was installed there. Importantly, ever since we installed this sensor, it has been on red which means, unhealthy environment. That is why we decided to come here to enlighten the people, see their activities, and how we can improve their quality around this environment.”
Dr. Walter also offered words of advice to the community people. “My general advice to the community is, try to use an alternative source of energy which will actually improve the air quality of airing your locality. Also try to reduce the emission as much as possible, dispose of your waste very well. Don’t encourage open burning. With this, the air quality of each locality will be safe for all, because when a particular environment is polluted, definitely it will impact on the general environment.”
