LIVING ON DIET OF CEMENT: SAD TALE FROM OGUN COMMUNITY IN NIGERIA

I came across this publication in a Nigerian Newpapers, The National Mirror of 24th March, 2013 and i was again very sad over the way Nigerian Government have trivialised critical issues of utmost concern to the health of Nigerians across different environment.

You will recall in one of my publications i lamented on the need for Nigerian Government to quickly sign off the Nigerian Occupational Health and Safety Bill which hopes to establish a healthy operating process framework to guaranty the safety of both employees and the host environment. It has become a great irresponsibility on the part of Government at both Federal and State levels to totally ignore or disregard the unwholesome practices that happen in Nigerian workplaces. I personally feel we can still salvage the situation before the influx of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that Nigerian Government has been clamouring for and fast attracting.

I am not sure we can contiunue like this, these companies cannot operate with this same risk laden standard in their parent country and why allow it happen in Nigeria? The victims of the economic activities of this company at Ewekoro are observant and proactive enough to make series of complains which no one seems to be looking into right now. What i am not sure of is if the Government of Ogun State has got these reports, i will however be sending His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Ogun State a letter copying the Honourable Commissioner of Health with an attached publication as reported by The National Mirror Newspapers.

What Ogun State stands to suffer from this report is a high risk of Cancer related ailments and possible cancer related deaths from this environment where this cement company is sited. I am also worried over outbreak or persistent Dermatological concerns, my heart weeps for the future of children born to parents that reside in this environment, there stand a chance of having very critical health challenges in their youth.

Kindly take out time to read below the story as presented by Biyi Adegoroye and Tai Anyanwu both of The National Mirror Newspapers.

There are fears that the inhabitants of host communities of Cement Companies in Ewekoro and Sagamu in Ogun State now live in danger due to emissions from the companies’ factories. The fears are not misplaced. Experts confirm the risk of a cancer outbreak in the neighborhoods if nothing is done to arrest the ugly trend. But, is the government of Ogun State aware of this risk? What has the company been doing to mitigate the effect of these hazardous emissions? This and more are the focus of this investigative report by Biyi Adegoroye and Tai Anyanwu

Host communities, workers and visitors to cement manufacturing companies in Ogun State and elsewhere in the country have something in common – they are contending with gales of dust and other airborne production related particles, which are considered dangerous to health. Residents of communities like Elegunshe, Sabo, Ode Ilemo, all in Sagamu, like their counterparts at Ewekoro, which covers towns and villages like Alaguntan, Papalanto, Lageleke and Akinbo are in danger. The streets adjacent to the factories are also disturbed by what they described as a daily diet of haze of dust emitted from the plants. They expressed worries that air-borne emissions from the company’s plants pose great dangers to their health and properties. According to community leaders, youth groups and landlords, who spoke to Sunday Mirror, heavy metal, gas and dust emanating from the production plants at Sagamu and Ewekoro often have corrosive effects on the roofs of their building and vehicles parked therein. “Our roofs, beds and vehicles are covered daily by dusts and other particles, while we wash our vehicles daily because of the pollution.We also fear the emissions are dangerous to our health,” said Yekini Adeyemi, a resident of Sabo at Sagamu.

People that have visited Lafarge Wapco Pls, a cement manufacturing company, which has been in operation in the country for over 50 years, have their stories. For the residents close to Dangote Cement Company that is in the same neigbourhood at Ewekoro and staff at the cement plant at Sagamu, it is the same sad tale. The chemical contents of cement like calcium carbonate, limestone, calcite, cement kiln dust, iron, silicon and fly ash combine to emit air-borne particles, which are dangerous to health. A report by the Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) titled “Earthworm as Bio-indicator of Heavy Metal Pollution around Lafarge, Wapco Cement Factory in Ewekoro, Nigeria”, seem to lend credence to this fact.

It stated that “heavy metal pollution of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems has long been recognised as a serious environmental concern. The use of earthworm as bio-index of soil heavy metal pollution was examined to reach such conclusions. Using the Lagos/Abeokuta express road as transect, four replicates each of the soil and earthworm samples were collected from five points for analysis. “Using spectro-photometry method, heavy metal concentrations (Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd, Co) were measured in all samples of soil and earthworm. Histological studies were conducted on earthworm sections.” The result revealed dark spots and patches on the tissues of the earthworm samples collected from the cement factory area compared with clear earthworm tissues at the control site. Bioaccumulation of heavy metal in soil and earthworm was noticeable around West Africa Portland Cement factory at Ewekoro and could serve as a possible bio-index of heavy metal pollution.” The report further stated that the pollution is dangerous to humans, and so, it cannot be any less perilous to properties as well. As could be seen when Sunday Mirror visited, vehicles parked within the premises or homes nearby suffer one form of damage or another. A former distributor of Lafarge at Sagamu, who did not want his name in print said the problem has been there for over 40 years of the company’s existence. “You see, when the factory was constructed, it occupied several acres of isolated land on the Sagamu-Ikorodu road. There were no residential houses at the time. But these days, expansion of the town has culminated in the construction of residential houses around the factory,” the former distributor said.

Heavy metal pollution observed in cement production factories –Report

He did not stop there. But said, “sometimes, the lorries will wait for days within the vicinity of the company, taking turns to load. During this period, we had to watch our vehicle daily, inhaling the particles. After sometime, many had to remove their truck because of the corrosive effect of the pollutants

Motorists as well as commercial motorcyclists, who ply the area, are not spared of the heavy dusty particles from the company. They have to use nose masks to contain the toxic particles on that route, while the company has a custom-built car wash within its company premises for staff and customers. Residents of Sagamu community in particular, who maintained a structured relationship with Lafarge, said though, the company has maintained a good relationship with them, they have not discountenance the need for them to conform to international best practices.“They should at all times ensure adequate regard for the environment they operate as well as the residents in the vicinity,” they stated.

The Secretary of Sagamu Community Development Council (SCDC), Oba Sikiru Bello, Elegushe the V1, said the community holds regular meeting with the company to address all these issues. “We have notified them of the pollution and the impact such pollutions are having on our health and property. On a daily basis, we wash our vehicles because of these emissions from their plant,” the Oba said, adding, “the insidious nature of the dust pollution emanating from the exhaust pipe projected into the sky at the company’s factory is frightening. If these particles could be so damaging to the paint of the vehicles, one can imagine the impact they would have on our heart and other organs.”

The traditional ruler, however, has some kind words for the company. “They have made their impact felt in the areas of youth empowerment, construction of ICT training centre and digging of boreholes; we want them to carry out regular assessment of the impact of their production on our community and address the problem. The dust here is too much. We are aware of the fact that it has further been compounded by the on-going construction of the Sagamu- Ikorodu road by the Federal Government. You see, if you come here during rainy season, the road is almost impassable. All these factors must be addressed,” the Elegushe said.

Bernard Uzo, a dealer on electronics in Ewekoro town, also said, “when we sleep and wake up, we start to cough because every air we are breathing in is contaminated by dust. No matter how much one tries to shut the door against cement dust, one would still wake up each morning to see the bed covered with dust. We have spring water here but we cannot drink it because it has dust deposits. Chest congestion, rasping and constant cough are common sickness we experience here. I personally don’t find it easy to breathe in and out.

”One Pastor Paul of Winners Chapel, Ewekoro also explained that the air in the community is just full of dust. “The moment you decide to stay here that means you have accepted that you will have to live with the dust of the environment and will endeavour to take remedies to neutralise its effects in the body system. Those who know the secret ensure that they drink enough milk or ensure regular intake of red oil to neutralise the chemical, at all the times. The pollution has serious effect on everyone who lives or does business in this community. I have lived in Ewekoro for 10 years and I know how I have been affected by the dust. My family had to move out of this place because of the dust; I could not relocate with the rest of my family because I had to do my business here,” he told Sunday Mirror.

Apparently aware of this danger, workers and visitors to the plant at Sagamu adhere strictly to an observable health and safety policy, by utilizing personal safety equipment. These range from goggles, nose masks to helmets, which are considered compulsory before entry into the plant. Experts have said that cement dust inhalation is dangerous to the respiratory system of people exposed to it, and could cause cancer of the lungs. According to Dr. Ezekiel Ogunlewe, Consultant Cardio Thoracic Surgeon and Senior Lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), “it has adverse effects on the lungs of those who work or reside where cement is produced. It affects the lungs and also the covering of the lungs called the pleura and this can lead to cancer of the lungs or pleura, which is called Mesothelioma.” Ogunlewe told Sunday Mirror that a lot of people, who work in construction companies and live within cement production firms, do visit the hospitals with related complaints. “Most times, people do not know that they are damaging their lungs by inhaling cement dust until it is too late,” he added.

For Adeboye Yekini Babatunde, who also teaches Chemical Engineering at UNILAG, that factory is, indeed, a source of pollutants to the environment. “It is not just the vegetation that will be affected, people and animals living in that environment are subjected to danger, because the natural environment has been altered. Residents of the area will begin to inhale dangerous chemical compounds, and other addictives associated with cement including calcium carbonate, limestone, calcite, cement kiln dust, iron, silicon and fly ash, which are dangerous to health,” he explained.According to the Cardio thoracic expert, the best way not to endanger one’s health is to avoid inhalation of cement dust on constant basis. Ogunlewe agrees with him even as he urged government to stop cement factories from citing industries where people live. “And if you work or live in such location, please always use nose mask to cover,” the don advised.
Health and Safety Issues, our concern - Cement Company

But, the company is not unaware of the danger posed by the factories and it has thus made safety concern a major company policy for workers and the community. Lafarge’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mrs. Temitope Oguntokun, insisted that the company is a responsible corporate entity, which carries out periodic environmental impact assessment and ensured environment friendliness. She, nonetheless, promised to look into the complaints of the communities, adding that relationship with the community has been cordial in terms of safety and environmental concerns. She restated the fact that her organisation has a full scale policy and implementation on health and safety. “And that cuts across all cadres of staff. In terms of visible ones you can see, we have our policy on Partners Protective Equipments (PPE), which are mandatory for not only our staff, but for everybody that visits our factory. If you had attempted to enter that site, they will not allow you to enter without a PPE; you will have to undergo a safety induction; and the PPE is essentially protective equipment like goggle, nose mask, ear muff, the helmet and the boot. All of these things are compulsory for the people within the factory.”

To the residents, she said, “in Ewekoro, we have a lot of health and safety initiatives that we have put in place at all our locations. It comes as our community Social Responsibility activities (CSR). It cuts across four key areas. We have health and safety as our number one activity that we do. We have education; we have youth empowerment and we have shelter and contribution to basic and infrastructural development within the community. On health and safety, we do a lot of enlightenment campaign within the community. We get the (NGOs) that go into the community to enlighten our people.”

Oguntokun, however, deny claims that her companies pollutes its environment of operation.“We do not produce dangerous gas, which is why you need to understand the process of cement production. As regards the issue of pollution, it is just like any other manufacturing concern. There are times you have something like technical issues. When we have a technical issue, once in a while, it can lead into substitutions emission; basically dust emission. But, as an organisation that is very proactive when it comes to health and safety, may be you would have seen that with Lafarge, health is our number one priority. And with health and safety comes with the issue of environment as well, in term of protecting the environment. So, when we have such technical issues, it will just be dust pollution but we are very proactive and the communities will attest to that,”she said.

You will notice also while reading through this report that the company was sited in this environment when there were no form of residential settlement about 50 years ago. This makes me wonder if the functions or roles of the Ministry of Town and Urban Planning has changed over the years. When we place a right ladder on a wrong wall, it will definitely lead us to a wrong destination, some of the flaws we see here are the outcomes of the inefficiency of the Ministry saddled with the reposibility of town planning . There would have been no need in the first instance allocating such land to people for residential purposes, now we have  people resident in the midst of a company with high level of hazardous operations processes and what do we do at this point? It all summarises the reactive attitude of government and lack of foresight of the caliber of people that drive the affairs of government at all levels.

This does not in anyway make excuses for the company in question, there is an urgent need to put an abatement plant in place to mitigate the overall hazardous emmissions generated by your presence in that environment. In responsible economies where the health of citizens and safety of environment are issues of concern to the government which will be evident by the presence of  enabling legislations, people would be going to law courts to make claims and seek for compensations because the law has provided a basis to argue and demand for their right.

I will conclude by reviewing the statement of the Mrs. Oguntokun, the Head of Corporate Affairs of Lafarge. It is very obvious that there may have been safety processes in place to support the company's operations and that is not what the residents are complaining about, the issue at stake has to do with the pollution of the environment, air quality standard and associated health risks the operations poses to the residents. Quite a number of companies are quick to refer to CSR but how are these initiatives measured in terms of impact and benefits? How timely are these CSR progams reviewed in the best interest of the community or supposed target beneficiaries.

Having Occupational Health and Safety activities duly regulated in Nigeria is the only answer, we need to put pressure on Mr. President to sign off this Nigerian Occupational Health and Safety Bill which has been passed by The Nigerian Senate since September, 2012. It is of utmost importance to Nigeria and Nigerians in this phase of our checkered economic evolution to have an enforceable National Legislation on Occupational Health and Safety. We also need the States and their Legislators to rise up and intitiate enabling legislations to safeguard the health of workers and safety of environment in areas within their geographical control. WE CAN DO IT. "IF YOU WILL, I WILL".

Kindly read through and leave a comment.

ehi@ohsm.com.ng

NIGERIAN WORKPLACES: DEATH SNARES AND TRAPS

I really get worried over how many Nigerians should die before our Government accords the safety of Nigerians in all workplaces the attention it deserves. Have you ever bothered on the post incident trauma every accident inflicts on both the victim and fellow workers.

 

I am really sad and just hope and wish we can just do the right thing, show a little concern, this is one case to many. This young man has been demobilised for life. Really sad, you need to take out time to read through this horrifying encounter as reported by Simon Utebor and published in page 9 of The Punch Newspapers of 11th March, 2013. 

Mark Okilla, an engineering mason with Chinese Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, Lagos State, whose right arm was chopped off by one of the company’s construction machines, has accused CCECC of neglecting him.

 

Okilla’s arm was grounded by a pulley machine from the finger to his chest. The machine later tore the arm completely. The stump was later covered by layers of skin removed from his lap. The 26-year-old man said the company merely dumped him in the hospital and since then, had not deemed it fit to check on him and did not care how his family was faring since the incident that left him incapacitated for life. He said, “It is lamentable that a company I have been working for since two years ago could abandon me at a critical point in my life. “The company only deemed it necessary to look into my plight when lawyers threatened a legal action and petitioned the Lagos State Government. “Even at that, the company, in a bid to satisfy the government, paid some medical bills without any official coming around to know how I was faring let alone knowing how my family was being fed.

 

”Okilla told Punch Metro on Friday that on January 5, 2013, he had left his 3, Ojo Afeje home in Orile Iganmu for work in high spirits but his joy was cut short by the accident. Explaining how the accident happened, Okilla said, “On the fateful day, I was forcefully assigned extra duty in a different department I had no knowledge of to operate a locally-fabricated pulley machine used for removing rubber from the cast beam- after completing my normal day’s job. “This was a technical department that required proper training and safety devices which were not provided. Masons have nothing to do with operating machines. The said machine had been faulty and was fixed a few days previously, but on that day while holding and guiding the wire rope and belt continuously from the machine to ensure accuracy, the machine malfunctioned and got stuck on the other end that was attached to the beam. “The beam being heavier than the machine forced the machine to pull from the base and moved towards me with such a force that suddenly dragged my hand into the machine. The machine continued to drag and grind my hand until my chest, which could not pass through the machine, stopped it. The stoppage forced the right hand to pull off instantly and stuck into the machine.“I was told that I fainted and only recovered after surgery. I continued to suffer in the hospital without proper feeding and medical attention due to lack of money to buy prescribed drugs. “In fact, upon all this, my two months’ salaries were only paid after my relations threatened to cry out to Nigerians for justice. “It was soon after my accident that the company built the normal safety barricade that should have been there before. “Because of the severity of the accident, when my arm was deteriorating and refused to heal, the doctors had to cut some flesh from my right lap to add to my arm. It was such a gory sight! ”He appealed to Nigerian government and Nigerians for justice against CCECC whom he accused of enslaving young Nigerians.

 

Counsel for Okilla, Mr. Moses Gbagbo, of Kings and Goodman (Solicitors), in a letter demanding compensation from CCECC, said the mishap would have been avoided. He said this was because of negligence on the part of the company which allegedly failed to provide a conducive working environment. He said, “Our client, who is in his prime is now maimed for life and will forever be dependent on other people for his survival. “As it is right now, all our client’s plans have come to nought as he is now handicapped due to your fault in not providing an enabling environment for him to work.”The lawyer has therefore demanded that CCECC pay N1bn to his client for the permanent incapacitation.

 

Gbagbo said if the company failed to grant his client’s request, he would not hesitate to institute legal proceedings against CCECC.The letter to the CCECC, a copy of which was made available to our correspondent, was also copied to the Lagos State Government, National Assembly and the Benue State Government.When our correspondent contacted CCECC Human Resources Manager, who identified himself only as Mr. Wang on the telephone on Sunday, he asked, ‘Who gave you my number’? ”When our correspondent tried to explain further, Wang retorted, “The problem with Mark is not the problem of the public. It is the corporation’s problem.“Whatever you want to do you can do. If you want to put in the paper, you can do that. Please, do not call my phone again. ”Wang subsequently cut the phone.

 

Dear readers, as pathetic as the story may sound, i need you to also leave your most honest view on the comments space.

 

Do you think the Nigerian Government has been fair to Nigerians and Non Nigerians in Nigerian workplaces?

 

Why can we have agencies responsible for regulations, inspections and conquences/penalties?

 

Would you really want to blame these Chinese companies who are not safety cultured?

 

Have you ever wondered why Nigeria has become an investment destination for Asians?

 

Where there are no legislations, operating standards  or policies, you cannot hold anyone accountable.  What is difficult in Mr. President applying his signature to the Occupational Health and Safety Bill that has been passed by The Nigerian Senate in 2012?

 

It is really shameful saddening, we can go on this way. No! 

 

Ehi Iden

ehi@ohsm.com.ng

THE CORPORATE MAN SLAUGHTER BILL AT THE NIGERIAN SENATE

I have always been concerned over the legislative position on very sensitive issues that impact so greatly in the lives of every Nigerian citizen and the country at large, in very recent times there seems to be a little spike of reawakening on the part of our legislators to boldly initiate these very sensitive bills that will in a large extent protect and create safety and security in all Nigeria workplaces. The first to come in this light was the passing of the Nigeria Occupational Health and Safety Bill in September, 2012 by the Nigerian Senate. We are still hoping and believing the final review of that bill should have been completed by now to allow the President assent to this bill so it can become a part of Nigerian law. Check through my previous articles for details on the Nigeria Occupational Health and Safety Bill.

I am so elated by this “CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER BILL” initiated by Senator Pius Ewherido. Kindly read through the publication in italics and highlights as reported by Dapo Falade, an Abuja correspondence of The Nigeria Tribune Newspapers.

“A bill seeking to become an act to make provisions creating the offence of corporate manslaughter and for matters incidental thereto passed through the second reading at the plenary of the Senate on Wednesday.

The bill, sponsored by Senator Pius Ewherido, passed through its first reading on September 20, 2012. In his lead debate, Ewherido, representing Delta Central, said the bill sought to create the offences of manslaughter to corporate organisations and agencies culpable for their wilful acts of negligence and dereliction of duty which eventually caused the death of a person.

He also said the bill, aimed at making it accessory to corporate manslaughter for persons who, while working with corporate bodies and agencies, failed, negligently performed and or sabotage their employers, resulting in the death of a person.

He said the provision of the bill was in line with Section 308 of the Criminal Code. The section referred to stated, “except as hereinafter set forth, any person who causes the death of another, directly or indirectly, by any means whatever is deemed to have killed that other person.”

He said the bill sought to fill the lacunae created by the restrictive definitions of killing in Sections 316 and 317 of the Criminal Code, when viewed against the broad definition in Section 308.

However, deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and Senator Paulinus Igwe, kicked against the proposed bill, saying that it contradicted existing legislation.

Senator Magnus Abe joined some of his other colleagues to support the bill, saying that its emergence was timely.

In his remark, Senate President, David Mark, called on the legislators to give room for public hearing to enable widespread participation in the debate. The bill was thereafter referred to the Senate Committee on Judiciary for further legislative action.

I got a little worried on the position of the deputy Senate President and a few of this other colleagues on this matter of great importance to Nigeria as a people. It is not a matter of contradicting existing legislations; it should be looked at from the point of safety and security for the Nigerian employee. You can never imagine how much the country looses annually by work related deaths and even severe occupational accidents that gets the victims incapacitated. Quantify it by the victims’ educational qualifications, work experience and the number of people that look up to him for their daily bread and even financial support to acquire education and a lot of other variables.

Have you ever imagined the feeling and the look on the face of an 80 years old retiree and his 75 years old wife when you come to break the sad news to them that their son got trapped in a machine while at work and he died on the spot? Have you even thought of an old man whose health is failing but has a life line through his only surviving son that pays his father’s monthly medical bill and now the same son has just been drowned as a result of an oil and gas platform that has just collapsed out of proper maintenance and absence of processes? Have you also imagined the pain you cause in a heart of a beloved wife loved exceedingly by her husband who she sees as her everything, she kisses her husband before he lives for work every morning and on this fateful day she got a call only to be told her husband was accidentally beheaded by a faulty machine that was being managed to meet production target? Have you imagined the heart break? Can you imagine the shine and smile you took out of a family? Who cares afterwards for the young woman who has been thrown into early widowhood she was never prepared for? Whoever bothers about the fate of the children and what becomes of them? Wouldn’t they drop out of school if they cannot meet the exorbitantly high bills we pay to acquire education in Nigeria? Will they grow up to love this society and country that never protected their father let alone their innocent lives? Will they express love to Nigeria and Nigerians or inflict everyone with pain? Remember, the doors we resfuse to shut during the day, criminals will certainly use same doors into our homes at night to attack us when we need a happy night rest the most.

We have had many cases of corporate manslaughter in Nigeria and the perpetuators go unpunished. When a man dies in the workplace out of negligence on the part of his employer by not making adequate provisions for health, safety and security of the employees, it is regarded as man slaughter and i think provision should be made within the ambit of the law for adequate punishment and of course good enough compensation for the family of the victims. This is what we are talking about and this is the law.

The workman did not die, the workman was killed.

Workplace safety brings cheers, workplace accident brings tears.

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment. 

Ehi Iden

ehi@ohsm.com.ng  

 

THE RICH ALSO CRY "When investment becomes a curse"

After medical tests showed that residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate, off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, had unusually high metal toxicity in their blood, urine and water, TOYOSI OGUNSEYE reports that they are now afraid for their lives

Last week, Mr. Adebayo Balomo retired the only coconut tree in his compound for good. It was a tough decision for the septuagenarian. For 15 years, the tree had served him, his family and friends well, providing sweet coconuts.

“That coconut tree has been there for about 15 years and I eat the fruit all the time. I entertain my visitors with it,” he said.

But Balomo said he had to take the decision after seeing the results of the medical tests carried out on the residents and flora of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate.

Residents of the estate, an upscale community in the heart of Lagos, had accused a nearby steel factory, Universal Steels Limited, of polluting their bodies, air and water with dangerous metal gases.

SUNDAY PUNCH had paid for the medical tests carried out at the Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

The tests showed that the residents and the flora, including Balomo’s coconut tree, had killer concentrations of gaseous metals in them.

Balomo, the estate’s oldest resident, is yet to recover from the shock.

He said, “For the test to show that the coconut I have been eating for years is contaminated is depressing. That means that I have been feeding my family and my visitors with poisonous fruit.

“I am an old man now, but what about the young ones whose bloodstreams are now contaminated? I am worried.”

The worries expressed by Balomo were also shared by all the residents. It was learnt that some residents who did not partake in the tests later went to private medical laboratories to ascertain the concentration of metals in their bodies.

They did this after seeing the results of the SUNDAY PUNCH-sponsored tests.

The medical assay had shown that all the tested 16 residents had very high concentrations of chromium, cadmium, zinc and iron in their bloodstreams. In some of these residents, the concentrations of metals were 10,000 per cent higher than the levels that the World Health Organisation considers safe.

The heavy metal contamination was also extremely high in borehole water, well water and coconut water samples found in the estate.

The head of the team that conducted the tests, Prof. Albert Ebuehi, described the results as “alarming” and urged the residents to relocate to save their lives.

Ebuehi stated that apart from the residents getting medical treatment, a permanent solution must be found to the pollution in the environment.

“They need to see a toxicologist that will treat them for the metal toxicity. But even if they are receiving treatment and they are still exposed to the gases from the company, it defeats the purpose of the medication,” he said.

‘What do we do now?’

When our correspondent visited the estate last Tuesday, the air was thick with despair.

At the Ademolas’, the worry was palpable. And it was for a good reason: the house where the Ademolas have lived for 16 years lies directly in front of the discharge roof of Universal Steels Limited. The fumes from the company’s huge machines are discharged through this roof.

Not surprisingly, all the blood and urine samples of the four members of the Ademola family tested positive to metal toxicity. A visibly worried Mrs. Ademola said the test results had dampened the joy of her family.

She said, “Since we got the result of the test, we have been very sad. It was a huge shock to us. My two sons got asthma when we got to this estate. I wrote letters to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, the Lagos State Ministries of Health and Environment, reporting the activities of Universal Steels. But I did not know how bad the situation was until we saw the results of the tests.

“We have gone to see our family doctor who is a general practitioner. He was dazed when we showed him the results. He said the matter was beyond him and he referred us to a toxicologist who gave us several medical procedures to adopt.”

For Mr. Mohammed Yusuf, moving out of the estate is the only alternative.

He said, “I planned to relocate from this estate, but the tests have made up my mind for me. Even my water treatment plant has large deposits of iron. I am going. I have increased the tempo of construction work in my new home and I just have a few weeks to spend in this estate.

“This is my house and I know that no one may be willing to buy it from me because everyone now knows we inhale poisonous gases, but I don’t care.”

Class action

Shortly after SUNDAY PUNCH published the test results last week, some residents of the estate got together and mulled the idea of a future class suit against Universal Steels. Others are not willing to wait.

Mrs. Ademola fumed, “I will treat myself and my family, but we will meet in court. The estate association is talking about a class action suit, but I will not wait for that. I will take them to court independently and still partake in whatever the estate decides.

“I have spoken to my lawyer and Universal Steels will be hearing from me soon. They are the only steel factory in this place and my home faces them directly. The medical investigation showed that members of my family had excess iron, cadmium, zinc and chromium in our blood and they expect me to keep quiet? I won’t!”

Another family that has plans to sue Universal Steels is the Okon family. Its patriarch, Mr. Michael Okon, said the result of the medical test was enough proof that the residents had been right all along.

He said, “We are going to court. What other evidence do we need apart from the medical tests? We have lived here for 12 years and where we were living before, there was no factory. So, the company cannot tell us that our systems got contaminated from somewhere else. I am ready to show the court where I was living before. Moreover, 16 people in the estate were randomly selected for the test and we all had metal toxicity in our systems. It shows that there is something wrong with where we live.

“Every day for 12 years, I was exposed to the gases from Universal Steels. I will wake up in the morning and blow out soot that settled in my nose overnight. My throat would be filled with dark substances. My daughter and granddaughter have breathing problems. My daughter even had to relocate from here when it got really bad. The gases killed all my plants. I have pictures as evidence.

“The estate is talking about a class action suit, but I am not going to wait for that. I have spoken to my lawyers. We are going to court after the New Year holiday.”

Poisonous gases everywhere

Across Nigeria, the problem of poisonous gaseous pollution is widespread. Shortly after SUNDAY PUNCHpublished the story of the state, the newspaper’s email was inundated with mails from readers who lamented that affected communities were often abandoned by government agencies.

One of the readers, James Nduka, wrote: “I live within the Adeniji-Abisogun Leigh Estate, off Wempco Road, Ogba, Lagos. There are two metal manufacturing companies there. We moved there in 1984 and residents in my estate have had several battles with these Chinese companies. We have written several petitions to the state government and appropriate ministries, but we got very little result. There was a time one of the companies was sealed off, but that action was short-lived, as they re-opened a few months later.

“The fumes they emit are toxic and poisonous. Most of our plants and guava trees ended up with black spots before dying. When these companies emit their gases in the evenings, residents have to hurriedly shut their windows, blocking proper ventilation. Only God knows what damage it has caused the residents there. Our sky in this area is normally dark grey because of the pollution.”

Mr. Lanre Ibitoye, a resident of a heavily industrialised part of Ikorodu, also wrote to SUNDAY PUNCH. He said, “If the blood, urine and water of residents in Adekunle Fajuyi Estate are contaminated because of one steel company, you can only imagine our fate. There are so many metal-manufacturing companies in our area. We have written several letters to government that the emissions are killing us, but no one cares about our petitions. If the media are not involved, government will not do anything.”

In other parts of Nigeria, the story isn’t different. In Zamfara State, lead poisoning from the operations of mining companies led to the death of 150 children last year. Residents of some Plateau and Nasarawa communities have long complained of their exposure to the radioactive emission of mining companies. In Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, communities close to huge quarrying companies complain that the lives of residents are made miserable by the vibrations and flying stone pellets from quarrying activities. In the Niger Delta, oil producing communities are always battling with oil companies over oil spills.

Figures from the United Nations Environment Programme also show that pollution and the inevitable conflict between communities and businesses happen all over the world. UNEP estimates that more than one billion people are exposed to outdoor air pollution annually, with the majority being in Africa. Studies have also linked urban air pollution to one million premature deaths and one million pre-native deaths each year.

UNEP also says that rapid urbanisation has resulted in increasing urban air pollution in major cities, especially in developing countries. It is estimated that air pollution costs approximately two per cent of Gross Domestic Product in developed countries and five per cent in developing countries.

Investment or curse?

A few days after the first part of the story was published, the Lagos State Public Advice Centre, an agency under the Ministry of Justice, called our correspondent and said it wanted to find a lasting solution to the pollution in the estate.

The agency met the residents of the estate last week and asked them to submit their complaints against Universal Steels. The residents confirmed that they were at the agency where they were asked to sign some documents.

However, residents and communities affected by industrial pollution often accuse government of being reluctant to implement environment laws in order not to scare away investors.

As a developing country, Nigeria’s economy relies heavily on Foreign Direct Investment. Some of these investments come in the form of manufacturing businesses promoted by companies like Universal Steels.

According to the Minister of Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, Nigeria has been rated as the 11th emerging economy of the world and, as a result of this growth, it has attracted huge foreign direct investments. In 2011, the total FDI value was $8.9bn.

For the Chief Executive Officer, Occupational Health and Safety Managers, Mr. Ehi Iden, the huge inflow of capital into the economy is sometimes detrimental to the health of citizens.

Iden said, “It is not enough for the Federal Government to keep asking for foreign investment without caring about Nigerians. If we make so much money from these manufacturing companies and Nigerians are dying because of the pollution that emanates from these companies, what is the benefit of investments then?

“Most of these companies come here, treat Nigerians the way they like, pollute the environment and nothing happens. They hardly care about the welfare of their employees and they pay peanuts. I have handled so many cases where casual workers in manufacturing companies were maimed for life and nothing happened.

“Government should be very strict with companies like Universal Steels, but that is not the case, unfortunately. It is either government relocates the company or relocates residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate. And if they must live in the same environment, the company must be made to build a big chimney that will direct its gases directly into the air.

“Then we have to talk about compensation too. Who will bear the cost of the remediation in the estate? Who will pay the bills of the residents that need the metals flushed out of their systems, water and soil? These are the things a responsive government should be looking at. If the people in the estate have metal toxicity in their bodies, then the employees in these factories must be worse off.”

Already, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Environmental Rights Action, has announced plans to organise a protest rally against Universal Steels.

The Head of Media, ERA, Philip Jakpor, said the protest would further sensitise government to the plight of the residents and possibly bring about a lasting solution to the pollution in the estate.

He said, “We are going to protest in front of the steel company after the New Year break. This cannot go on. We will involve other NGOs and the media.”

Beyond protests and agitation, stakeholders have said only the overhauling and the effective implementation of existing environmental laws will save the situation.

Jakpor said, “We have so many environmental laws, but they are not all-encompassing. Some of them are as old as when Nigeria got its independence. We have some recent ones, but they are restricted to different industries like environmental laws that deal with gas flaring, oil and gas, tobacco, etc. And these laws are abstracts from international treaties. The laws should be domiciled in the ministry of environment.

“We don’t have one comprehensive document we can call Nigeria’s environmental law. And that is where the problem is.”

At long last…

On Friday, some respite finally came the way of the residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate. The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency said it had sealed off Universal Steels because of the harm it had caused the residents.

The General Manager, LASEPA, Mr. Adebola Shabi, in an electronic mail, said the closure followed the reports by SUNDAY PUNCH and complaints of the residents.

According to him, the agency had investigated similar complaints against the company in 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2012, while it had sanctioned the company twice.

He said, “The attention of LASEPA has been drawn to the contents of SUNDAY PUNCH’s publications of December 16 and 23, 2012 respectively on the issue of emission of fumes from Universal Steels Limited, an iron and steel manufacturing company.

“In the publication, various grave allegations were made against the company by the residents on the effects of the emission on their health and wellbeing.

“The agency is aware that there are health impacts of the emissions from such facilities on human health. Apart from the climate change impact, the emission of sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide, methane hydrocarbons and particulate matter into the environment results in various respiratory problems, including asthma.

“Earlier, the company submitted environmental impact assessment reports in 2006, 2008 and 2011. It has also installed some abatement plants.”

Shabi said the company would not be reopened until it had fulfilled all the promises it made in the recent Memorandum of Understanding it signed with the residents and LASEPA.

He added, “We will ensure that the company subsequently develops a comprehensive environmental management plan, which will be vigorously monitored and implemented. A post-impact assessment of the effects of the emission on the environment will be undertaken and the appropriate remedial strategies recommended will be implemented.

“We will conduct a comprehensive review of existing reports on the blood and urine tests of the residents, while Universal Steels will be encouraged to carry out remedial works within the estate, including the planting of new species of trees aimed at improving the quality of air within the estate.”

The residents said even though they were happy about the sealing off of Universal Steels, the company had been sealed off previously, without the company taking steps to stop the pollution.

The Chairman of the residents’ association, Chief Taiwo Ojora, who was the only resident that allowed his real name to be used, said, “We are glad the company has been sealed off, but that is not the permanent solution, because they are going to reopen. They promised to take measures against releasing their poisonous gases into the atmosphere in the MoU we signed with them, but those are temporary measures. We need government to find a permanent solution to the pollution of our bodies, water and soil.”

Editor’s note: The names of all residents who spoke to Sunday PUNCH are withheld to protect their privacy.

Punch Nigeria

THE RICH ALSO CRY "Killer Metal in the Blood"

We had pubblished the first part of this story on the antecedents of Universal Steel in Lagos and we promised to publish the follow-up edition and this promise we fulfill by this publication. Please read and leave a comment. Kindly note, every work published here is the intellectual property of Punch Newspaper Nigeria Limited.

 

December 23, 2012 by TOYOSI OGUNSEYE

Universal Steels Limited

In this second part of a three-part series, TOYOSI OGUNSEYE reports that medical tests conducted on 16 residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate, off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos, who are exposed to fumes from Universal Steels Limited, revealed heavy metals in their blood, urine and water that could lead to death

On any weekday, the air over Universal Steels is certain to be thick with sooty fumes. These fumes are at the centre of a dispute that has pitted the company against the residents of an upscale estate in the heart of Lagos.

Residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate accuse the company of polluting their homes and environment with the heavy gases emanating from its huge machines. These gases, they add, are also responsible for the high incidence of cancer and respiratory ailments in the estate.

When our correspondent visited the company to get its side of the story, a company representative, Mr. David Igwe, was quick to dismiss the allegations.

Igwe said, “There is nothing like that. It is not true. We have an abatement plant that takes care of the gases we emit. We bought the plant two years ago and the Lagos State government was here during the launch.

“Go to the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency and they will tell you what we have done. We don’t pollute the environment and there is no estate that is affected by our operations.”

The test

In late November, 16 of the residents agreed to SUNDAY PUNCH’s request for a series of blood and urine tests that would either validate their allegations or confirm the company’s innocence.

The tests were to determine the heavy metal concentrations in the residents’ blood systems and ascertain if they were within safe thresholds.

For the tests, researchers from the Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, randomly selected16 residents who had lived in the estate for a minimum of seven years.

The team got 15 blood samples and 14 urine samples — one of the 16 residents did not give blood, while two declined to submit urine samples. Samples were also taken from borehole water, well water and a coconut from a 15-year-old coconut tree. SUNDAY PUNCH paid for the tests.

Killer metals in their blood

At the end of three weeks, the results were ready. The researchers published their findings in a 10-page report. The report showed that the concentrations of chromium, cadmium, zinc and iron in the blood of the residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate were much higher than the levels permitted by the World Health Organisation.

The head of the team that conducted the tests, Prof Albert Ebuehi, described the results as “alarming.”

He warned that the residents’ blood had “heavy metal toxicity” which posed serious health risks.

According to him, the test showed that the urine and blood of the residents were contaminated with chromium, cadmium, zinc and iron.

Ebuehi stated that the highest and lowest values of iron in the plasma of the tested residents were 8,067 per cent and 565 per cent respectively and were higher than the WHO permissible levels.

The cadmium level in the most contaminated resident among those tested was 130,000 per cent greater than the WHO acceptable level. The least contaminated individual had cadmium concentration that was 327 per cent, higher than the normal value of 0.0011mg/L.

According to professor, the levels of chromium in the tested residents were also ‘alarming.’

The 16 residents also had high zinc toxicity in their plasma. The highest value of zinc was 146 per cent, greater than the permissible level of 1.1mg/L, while the lowest was 7.3 per cent greater.

The trend was the same with the urine tests. The highest value of iron in urine was 4,963 per cent, greater than the WHO acceptable level while the lowest was 205 per cent.

For cadmium in urine, the highest value was 130,000 per cent, greater than the permissible level of 0.0011mg/L, with the lowest being 46,363 per cent.

The highest value of zinc was 143.6 per cent, higher than the WHO permissible level, while the lowest was 5.5 per cent.

The heavy gas contamination was also extremely high in borehole water, well water and coconut water samples found in Adekunle Fajuyi Estate.

The report stated that, “A final revelation became more glaring when these heavy metals were identified and determined in the coconut grown and harvested within the same vicinity. The metals in the coconut water were abnormally high and unsafe for human consumption.

“Heavy metals could enter coconut water through soil or water contamination. The metals have also affected the quality of the water in the environment. They were detected in heavy quantities.”

Killing them softly

Ebuehi, an ordinarily unflappable academic, was so alarmed by the results that he advised residents to “leave the estate as soon as possible.”

He said, “They must not eat any fruit grown in the area; all their plants are contaminated because of the pollution of underground water. Already, the offspring of the 16 residents sampled are likely to have the heavy metals too. That may lead to generations of families with toxic metals in their systems. They have to leave that place for their own good.”

Speaking on the likely effects of the metals that the residents have inhaled, Ebuehi said, “Inhalation of cadmium-containing fumes can result in metal fume fever, but may progress to chemical pneumonitis, pulmonary oedema and death.

“Also, high levels of free ferrous iron react with peroxides to produce free radicals, which are highly reactive and can damage DNA, proteins, lipids and other cellular components. Excess iron damages the heart, liver and elsewhere and this can lead to coma, metabolic acidosis, shock, liver failure, coagulopathy, respiratory distress syndrome, long-term organ damage and even death.

“Chronic toxicity of zinc may produce gastric ulcer, pancreatitis, anaemia, nausea, vomiting and pulmonary fibrosis. Acute toxicity is manifested as fever and anaemia. Lead was not detected in the test.”

‘Fatal without treatment’

In 1996, a team of medical scientists in India released the result of a study on the link between metal gases and gall bladder disease and cancer. The study was done over a year on 96 patients with gall bladder diseases at the University Hospital, Varanasi, India.

The study concluded that the metal toxicity in the patients was caused by the dangerously high concentrations of heavy metals in drinking water in the regions where the patients lived.

The team leader, Professor V.K. Shukla, wrote that, “The two regions lie down stream of the river Ganges, which is the main source of drinking, bathing, and irrigation water in this part of India and receives untreated domestic sewage and industrial and agricultural effluent.

“High concentrations of cadmium have been reported in sewage, irrigation water and vegetables grown in the area; and higher concentrations of heavy metals than recommended by the World Health Organisation have been reported in water from this region. Heavy metals as environmental pollutants have been implicated in human carcinogenesis.

“These metals, especially cadmium, are excreted and concentrated in the hepatobiliary system. These metals are known as chemical carcinogens, so the high biliary concentrations of these metals in carcinoma of the gall bladder may be a factor in this cancer.”

A consultant surgeon based in Lagos, Dr. Sylvester Ikhisemojie, agreed with this research. According to him, excess cadmium has been linked to both cancer of the urinary bladder and stomach.

He said, “A man who inhales a large dose of cadmium is not in much risk as one who does so in small amounts steadily over many years.

“Because cadmium is so toxic, even minimal exposure to dust can be extremely damaging to the body — the kidneys can shrink up to 30 per cent of their mass. Accumulation of cadmium in the lungs can cause pulmonary oedema. It is fatal without treatment. In its milder form, cadmium toxicity can cause flu-like symptoms of cough, catarrh conjunctivitis, bronchitis and lung fibrosis. Chronically, excess cadmium causes bone softening (osteomalacia) and bone brittleness (osteoporosis), leading to deep-seated pain and easy fractures.”

Ikhisemojie added that high concentrations of zinc can cause muscle cramps, headaches, blurring of vision, severe weakness and convulsions, while chromium causes “different types of bronchitis (severe respiratory disease), asthma, conjunctivitis, passage of blood in stools and lung cancer.”

As for iron, he said, “In excess amounts, it accumulates in the liver, which is the organ for detoxification and interferes with its cellular functions so adversely that the liver begins to shrink in a process known as liver chirosis. This will ultimately poison the organ leading to liver failure, as the majority of its cells have been made abnormal by the presence of excessive iron.”

A climatologist, Professor Temiloluwa Ologunorisa, of the Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research, Osun State University, Osogbo, reiterated the opinions of the medical doctors.

According to Ologunorisa, apart from the gases which the residents inhale in dry form, rainfall converts the gases to wet form, which are washed to the ground surface including roof surface.

He said, “The gases undergo some chemical reactions after combining with rain water to form more dangerous substances. Ultimately, some of the gases or substances formed are carcinogenic, and others can cause respiratory ailments.”

Another professor of climatology, Olukayode Oladipo, said apart from the heavy metals detected during the research, emissions from the steel company include iron oxides, sulphur oxides, calcium oxides, hydrocarbons, carbonaceous compounds and chlorides.

He said, “It is therefore not surprising that high levels of chromium, cadmium, zinc and iron are found in the people living in the area. It is also not surprising that the water, air and soil around the industrial site have been contaminated with the series of emissions mentioned above.

“Operations of the industry must have some local effects on the thermal conditions (temperature) of the local environment. It will be interesting to find out if the temperature conditions around the steel company is higher than the surrounding environment to generate what we call urban heat island.”

Living in denial

When our correspondent told Igwe that there was evidence of the pollution from the company, he sidestepped the question and retorted, “We know how we settle journalists.”

He then left in a hurry, after promising to give the reporter another appointment. A subsequent text message to Igwe for the promised appointment was not replied. Our correspondent called him again; a man that sounded like Igwe picked the call but claimed it was a wrong number.

“Please, check the number you are calling. You must have a wrong number,” he said.

Residents said representatives of the company once told them that the area was mapped as an industrial estate, hence they had no reason to complain.

A resident, Mohammed Yusuf said, “That argument cannot stand. Even if they got here before us, does that mean that they should not be socially responsible? The government gave us approvals to live here as a residential estate. So, they cannot claim that because they were told that it was an industrial estate, they should be killing us gradually with poisonous gases.

“Even in developed counties like America and Britain, people live very close to so many manufacturing industries and these companies are very responsible. You don’t see the companies directing poisonous gases at the residents. They build high chimneys and direct their gases very far into the air. That is possible because they have a responsible government. But it is not the same here.”

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, said Universal Steels could not excuse polluting the environment on the grounds of physical planning.

He said, “The Ogba area estate has both industrial and residential components and it is not unusual that they are so located. We have to return to the industrial safety laws. Does a man have a right to operate an industry at the expense of the people who are almost certainly his own clientele? I think not.

“This is where the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and its agencies have a role to play, for they are the regulatory bodies to ensure that industrial effluent is controlled and environment-friendly.”

Drama at LASEPA

The government agency responsible for environmental matters in Lagos is the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency. LASEPA, by law, is expected to monitor, manage and protect the Lagos State environment from all forms of degradation arising from solid, liquid and gaseous waste.

The agency is also empowered by law to arrest persons, seal premises and seize items being used in the perpetuation of any offence.

When our correspondent met the General Manager of LASEPA, Mr. Adebola Shabi, the agency said it was not aware that Universal Steels was polluting the environment.

He said, “We were there two years ago to commission the abatement plant. I always use the company as an example for other manufacturing companies. We shut them down some years ago but after that, they bought the plant to take care of the greenhouse gases they emit. Apart from the harm they cause to humans, these gases deplete the ozone layer and cause climate change. The company takes care of the gases they emit. I am not aware that any person is suffering poor health due to gases from the company.”

When SUNDAY PUNCH insisted that there was evidence that the company emits gases with high metal concentrations every day apart from Sundays, Shabi raised a four-man team to investigate the allegation.

The following day, our correspondent led the LASEPA team to Adekunle Fajuyi Estate where they took pictures of thick emissions from the company that was settling in peoples’ homes. They also spoke to the residents.

After spending some hours in the estate, the team decided to go to Universal Steels to confront its officials with the evidence.

On getting to the company, Igwe was not pleased to see our correspondent with the team.

He said, “Government should not be conniving with the press. LASEPA is a regulatory agency that monitors the environment and I see nothing wrong with the agency paying a visit to the company. But you should not be partnering press while conducting your duties.”

At this point, the team asked our correspondent and the photojournalist to excuse the two parties.

Thirty minutes later, Igwe and the LASEPA officials came out and said they were going on a tour of the company’s facilities. Igwe said our correspondent and a female member of the team could not go on the tour because they had a pair of sandals on. SUNDAY PUNCH’s photojournalist was also not allowed on the tour, even though he wore a pair of covered shoes.

When the LASEPA officials and Igwe returned from the tour, the company representative crowed to our reporter, “I have shown LASEPA round, you can ask the agency all you want to know. They will tell you.”

On leaving the premises, the team told SUNDAY PUNCH that the company said it had only been emitting the gases for about two weeks and that it had bought some equipment to fix its leaking roofs and pipes.

Memorandum without understanding

Three days after the SUNDAY PUNCH’s visit, residents got an invitation from LASEPA for a meeting with the company on December 3.

At the end of the meeting, both parties signed a memorandum of understanding. A copy of the MoU, which was obtained by our correspondent, stated that Universal Steels agreed to “fix its faulty furnaces, repair its dilapidated roofs, and start a remedial measure.”

It also promised to replace the filtration bags of the abatement plant in two weeks and install a hood and blower to filter the emission. It agreed to alert LASEPA within 24 hours of breakdown and be financially responsible for the cost of any remediation work that may need to be done to abate the nuisance and restore the damaged environment.

The steel company promised in the MoU to complete its factory maintenance before the second week of January.

However, a few days after the MoU was signed, the residents told SUNDAY PUNCH that Universal Steels was still polluting the air with the poisonous emissions in the middle of the night