The obviously mis-informed, negative and self-centered responses that we received from a few stakeholders on account of our Front Page Comment in our last week‘s edition which focused on the controversial activities of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) necessitated the decision to dedicate this weeks’ editorial to the issue.
Like we have had reasons to say a couple of times in the past and we say it again, our ‘front page comments’ are personal opinions of members of our editorial team and in some cases, opinions of some stakeholders which we deem fit to give a front page treatment. These opinions do not represent our stand on such issues, at all. As it is with all media outfits, our editorial opinion is our position on issues.
When the agency called NESREA was created in 2006, it probably didn’t understand the enormity of its assignment, until it probably realized that a substantial part of its assignment would have been covered if it could ‘close’ seaports which have become important routes through which dangerous cargoes such as, the ones that it is looking for enter into the country.
And when it eventually realized this and moved in, it encountered huge opposition from some groups; including both the Nigerian Ports Authourity (NPA) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS). NPA and Customs were opposed to NESREA for divergent reasons. While the former was not out rightly opposed to NESREA’s presence, it however kicked against the manner in which it was going about the assignment. On the part of the Customs, it’s Comptroller General, Alhaji Diko Abdullahi Inde out rightly picked holes in NESREA’s foray into the port. He seized the opportunity of the recent retreat that was organized by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) to highlight his opposition to NESREA.
It is instructive that even the die –hard critics of NESREA have never spoken in favour of importation of toxic goods, but their opposition stemmed largely from the fear that the new entrant will be a mere addition to already existing number of government agencies in the ports.
As much as we share in this apprehension, we still ask: why not allow the agency to carry out its assignment?, especially in view of the fact that the items that have so far been found in the containers that were loaded aboard the intercepted ships are all injurious to human health. Or are we saying that the life of a European is more precious than that of Nigerians?
All the items are captured under the Basel Convention to which Nigeria is a signatory and the convention actually lists products under its Code A1180 to include: waste electrical and electronic assemblies or scraps containing components such as: accumulators and other batteries mercury-switches. Others are: glass from cathode-ray tubes and other activated glass and PCB-capacitors or contaminated with constituents such as cadmium, mercury, lead, polychlorinated biphenyl.
A wide range of abnormal health conditions such as: congenital heart diseases, cancer, and leukemia are traceable to these toxic products, all of which have long been categorized as toxic in the developed world.
So, the disused motor batteries and other items which were found in the containers on board those ships actually fall under the category of toxic wastes. If they are toxic for human beings in Europe, Asia and America, while should they not be toxic (and are just classified as mere fairly used items) here in Nigeria and indeed, Africa.
We are quite aware of the rising collaboration against NESREA, but we also argue that it is only those who have things to hide that often fall prey to the so-called government agencies.
The fact that multinational lines have stopped shipment of such items to Nigeria is a confirmation that NESREA is right and it is a victory for all those who have come to realize that no matter how cheap a fairly –used items are, it should not be allowed into the country once it is confirmed to be dangerous to human health.
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