From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is located on the outskirts of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, in the South West of Nigeria. The United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated the grove as a World Heritage Site.
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention was designed to identify and protect areas around the world whose cultural and natural value is of ‘outstanding value to humanity.’ It is said that placement on the list requires extra protection for these special areas, whose natural or cultural area extend far beyond local or national borders.
The Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, which covers an area of 75 hectares, is regarded as the abode of the Yoruba goddess of fertility, Osun. Osun is strongly believed to be living in the most sacred place in a river – Osun River, which meanders through the grove in the natural forest.
Investigation revealed that one of the things that make the grove a popular site is the Osun River, which is believed to have been blessed by the goddess inhabiting the river.
Every year, the grove attracts thousands of tourists within and outside the country. The visitors to the site have been beholding the wonders of nature as well as the finest artistic initiatives of human beings, especially of an Austrian artist, Suzanne Wenger. Apart from that, they have also been fetching water from the shrine of the Osun River goddess for spiritual solutions to their problems, especially those who believe in it.
In 2021, the United States Embassy in Nigeria invested US$127,000 grant in the grove, awarded to CyArk, a California-based non-profit, through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), with a view to digitally documenting and conserving the Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo sacred grove.
The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, described the Busanyin Shrine as one of the eight monuments within the grove that have been significantly damaged by extreme flooding over the years.
According to her, CyArk and its local partners were awarded a $127,000 grant under the AFCP small grant programme to help document a series of shrines in the sacred grove and provide training to local professionals to build capacity and digital documentation skills and cultural heritage management.
“The 3D digital documentation of the shrine is the necessary first step to provide the most accurate record of the current conditions of the site and effectively plan a restoration project that will increase resilience at the site during a natural disaster or extreme weather conditions.”
The Director-General, National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), Abba Tijani, also said the Osun-Osogbo sacred grove “is important to many of its devotees, both within and outside the country and other stakeholders, hence, the need to keep it in good state of conservation at all times. This training programme will not only empower the staff of the commission in 3D documentation of cultural heritage but also assist in conservation works to be carried out in the grove.”
Contamination of water in the grove
But a development that can probably rubbish the investments made on the grove and discourage tourists from visiting the site has emanated. The water in the grove has been heavily polluted. The colour of the water is now brown.
Still, those that believe in the spiritual power of the water in the shrine of the goddess of the river have been visiting the grove on daily basis, to get the water.
But a visitor cannot just approach the shine of the goddess and fetch the water by himself or herself. There are always devotees of the goddess in the shrine, who must be consulted by any visitor that wants the water. Over the years, the devotees have been the ones fetching the water for visitors, and would also give instructions on how to use the water towards achieving desired results.
When this reporter visited the grove recently, the artistic works and the different shrines in the grove remained alluring. Dozens of monkeys were seen in different parts of the grove. Also, some people that came to get water from the shrine of the goddess were also sighted.
One of the persons that came to get the water is a woman in her 30s. This reporter accosted the woman, and initiated conversation on what could have polluted the river. He asked if the woman would drink the water with its brownish colour. The woman, simply said: “I am a Yoruba woman and I am based in Abuja. So, for me to have come all the way from Abuja to get this water, you must know that it is for a very important matter.
“I have been married for ten years and there is no issue yet. So I was told to come and get this water by a spiritualist so that I can get pregnant and give birth to my own baby. So, the colour of this water is of little or no concern to me. What is important to me is for me to use this water and may God answer my prayers not to be barren again.”
When this reporter chatted with the ‘Iya Osun,’ the women devotees in the groove, they were unhappy about the pollution of the river. One of the priestesses lamented: “We come to this grove in the morning and leave for our houses in the evening. So, we normally drink from water fetched from the river. The water was very clear before and if you stand on the bank of the river, where we have the shrine of Osun goddess, you will be able to see the bottom of the river in the areas that are not so deep.
“But now, the water has turned to brown. How can we drink that kind of water? You our visitor, kindly help us. If you know somebody in government, please help us tell them that they must do something to stop the pollution. You see, my son, the pollution, we were told, is from gold mining in Ilesha.”
Some questions bombarded the mind of this reporter on the health hazards that drinking the water that has been contaminated by the effects of gold mining in Ilesha, a political division of Osun State, could cause to human beings. Is the goddess of the river happy or unhappy about the pollution? When did the pollution start? How many people have been to the grove to get the water for spiritual solutions to their problems? What is the palace of Ataoja of Osogbo doing to arrest the situation? Are the Osun State Government and the Federal Government concerned about the pollution?
Studies on the contamination
Dr. Emmanuel Olusegun Akindele of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State, in conjunction with some other scholars, conducted series of studies on the cause of the contamination of the Osun-Osogbo River. Samples were collected and taken to the laboratories for testing. It was found out that the water in the Osun River contains dangerous chemicals including, arsenic, lead and mercury. The studies revealed that the dangerous chemicals are always the results of devastating effects of gold mining on nearby water resources.
It was further revealed that gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. This was predicated on the fact that it can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers and destroy pristine environments. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems.
According to Akindele, the substances found in the water from Osun River, based on contamination from gold mining sites, are carcinogenic. He urged the relevant bodies to work with synergy to attend to the situation urgently in order to safeguards the lives of people that get water from the grove for drinking, especially those that believe in the spiritual power of the water from the sacred grove.
According to experts, the resulting contaminated water is called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), which is a toxic cocktail uniquely destructive to aquatic life. Apart from drinking water contamination, AMD’s by-products such as mercury and heavy metals, work their way into the food chain and sicken people and animals for generations.
Investigation further revealed that the nearest place where gold mining activities are taking place in Osun State, is Ilesha, which is about one hour drive from Osogbo. The contamination, which begins in Ilesha has been traced to Osun-Osogbo River. It is the same river that passes through the popular Aregbe area of Osogbo.
Research also made it known that the Osun-Osogbo River is the same that goes to the Asejire River, which is the boundary between Oyo and Osun State. Oyo State Government has a dam at Asejire, where water is being processed for supply to households through tap. Though other small rivers joined before the water gets to Asejire, the story is also the same up to Ogun River along Ibadan-Eruwa Road. The water in the Asejire River and Ogun River both looks deeply brownish in colour.
Visits to Osogbo and Ilesha
The visits paid to Osogbo and Ilesha by this reporter revealed that the Osun State Government and traditional rulers of the two major towns are helpless in controlling the mining activities because mineral resources are under the Exclusive List of the Federal Government.
At the palaces of Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye II, and the Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, the reporter was not allowed to see the monarchs on the grounds that they would not want to talk on the subject matter.
But informed sources within the two palaces and the two towns confided in the reporter that the two palaces had informed the state government and UNESCO about the contamination of the rivers from Ilesha to Osogbo. They added that they were sure that the state must have informed the Federal Government about the situation.,
One of the sources said: “This matter on the contamination is beyond the Ataoja and Owa Obokun. What can they do? The Federal Government is the one giving licences to foreigners to mine gold in Ilesha. But what I have discovered personally is that the licensed companies that are mining gold in Ilesha have proper water management system. But how many are the licensed companies? They should not be more than two.
“But illegal miners are uncountable. They are the ones disposing the wastes from the gold mining activities into the rivers. Go to Ilesha, you will see what is happening there. But I will not advise you to go to the mining sites because your security is not guaranteed. The legal and illegal miners have heavily armed security that they’ve provided for themselves. Then, these people that we call illegal miners have letters from powerful top officials of the Federal Government that they should mine in Ilesha.
“The security agents in Osun State cannot even handle the situation. If they go to the sites, orders have always been coming from above they should not do anything. It is not that the security agents in the state and the state government do not know what to do. But what can they do now?”
Mini-stakeholders’ meeting
The Curator, National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Ataoja Palace, Osogbo, Mr. Adekunle Fatai, who is the representative of the Federal Government at the grove, said a mini-stakeholders’ meeting was held at the Education/Heritage Building, inside the Osun Sacred Grove on Wednesday March 30, 2022 on the contamination of the Osun River.
According to him, an eight-point communiqué, which he made available to this reporter. It was decided at the meeting that no mining activities were taking place within and around Osun Sacred Grove, and that it was obvious that there’s a significant change in the colour of Osun River. It was added that a non-governmental organisation that has carried out studies on the river – Urban Alert, should publish laboratory results on pollution of Osun River.
The communiqué also stated that confirmatory tests should be carried out by Osun State government, through Osun State University and that National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) should carry out another test through the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). It was also resolved that the “consumption of Osun River as Agbo (herbal medicine) should be suspended for a while, until the issue of pollution is resolved.
“Mining sublease by any licence holder (state government and private firms) should ensure that the company they sublet must have capacity in terms of technology and reclamation plan, while relevant regulators must be carried along. Alluvial gold mining should be suspended for now until all the issues of pollution are resolved. Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel development as well as MERINCO should step up their regulatory activities to ensure sustainable mining.”
After the meeting, the Osun State Government swung into action on the same March 30. The government declared a war on illegal miners, known in the circle of the Federal Government as unorganised miners.
Osun state government speaks
The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation in Osun State, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, said the state government is ready to launch a full-blown war on illegal mining activities in the state. She, however, lamented that the state was constrained by constitutional limits, where the Federal Government exercises exclusive jurisdiction over mining.
Her words: “Osun State Government is worried and deeply concerned about the flagrant abuse of its environment by illegal miners, who are daily degrading and polluting the Osun River. In spite of efforts to curb the excesses of these fly-by-night businessmen, they have consistently resisted guidance and refused to follow approved standards for mining in Osun.
“The state government’s mining blueprint has sought through a combination of enforcement and formalisation via registration and capacity development of artisanal miners, to mitigate the degradation caused by mining. While these achievements present the state’s proactive policies designed to change the mining landscape, the state continues to deal with the scourge of illicit and irresponsible mining that is causing the pollution of the Osun River.
“Governor Gboyega Oyetola has since deployed its limited enforcement resources to curbing illegal and informal mining to arrest the despoliation of our land and pollution of our rivers. To date, the enforcement actions have led to the arrests of several individuals for illicit mining, seizures and site closures. In addition to the enforcement activities, the state has commissioned studies on the level of pollution and how to remediate it and also sought assistance from the Federal Government as well as development partners, including from the ecological fund, to remediate the damage.”
According to Egbemode, the Osun River is not just a geographical landmark, “it is one of the few accredited UNESCO heritage sites in Nigeria, which the state will do everything to protect and preserve. Illegal miners are, therefore, served a notice to shape in or ship out. If they cannot operate within the ambits of World Standards and observe safety protocols, they may have to take their business elsewhere.
“Osun State under the leadership of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola will hold nothing back in fighting these agents of pollution and degradation masquerading as businessmen. There will be arrests and prosecution in the coming days and there will be no sacred cows. Nobody, however, highly placed will be allowed to put the future of our water bodies in jeopardy.”
The government also warned indigenes, who have been leasing out their farmlands to illegal miners to desist from such act or face the law.
