Residents Of Tolu, Ajegunle In Lagos Lament Water Pollution

Residents of Tolu and ‘JMJ’ quarter of Olodi Apapa in Lagos have been lamenting the newly-installed septic discharge point which is located at the Tolu jetty beside the secondary school complex.
Residents of the two communities have said that since the wastes discharged point was set up last year, most businesses within the riverside has been affected as a result of health and environmental hazard to their owners.

Residents of Tolu and ‘JMJ’ quarter of Olodi Apapa in Lagos have been lamenting the newly-installed septic discharge point which is located at the Tolu jetty beside the secondary school complex.
Residents of the two communities have said that since the wastes discharged point was set up last year, most businesses within the riverside has been affected as a result of health and environmental hazard to their owners.
The new sewage outfit, Shipping Position Daily gathered was set up by the Lagos State Waste Water Management office accredited to septic discharge point Ajeromi jetty,Tolu.
The Tolu, Ajegunle riverside play host to sand sellers,  restaurants and bars, block manufacturers, fish sellers, wooden boat builders and boat operators and scores of artisans, all of whom have been adversely affected by the sewage disposal facilities.
Mr. Afolabi Akin a resident of the community disclosed to Shipping Position Daily yesterday, that the water has been polluted with human wastes which are dangerous to health, even as he explained that during the process of discharging the wastes into the river people can hardly go closer to that environment.
He said that while the discharge is going on, all the businesses in the area are usually put on a halt until the process of discharging the wastes into the river has been completed before they can continue with their businesses.
Akin explained that most of the labourers who enter the water to lift wet sand have stopped working with the sand sellers due to health implication.
He blamed the Lagos state government for the establishment of the sewage discharge point which, according to him, is dangerous and hazardous to everyone, especially the students whose schools are also located within the area
According to him, urgent step need to be taken by the Lagos State government to relocate the water waste management facilities to another part of the state.
Another resident of the community (names withheld) told our correspondent that the waste management facilities that have been set up in the community is illegal adding that government cannot set up what is harmful to its people, especially where the river in which the wastes are dumped is providing jobs for thousands of youths in Ajegunle, Olodi Apapa and other parts of the state.
According to him, night life in the riverine area has been badly affected because of the wastes, even as he stressed that such night activities commonly take place at night when seafarers from Europe and Asia hang out around there to have fun.
He disclosed that whenever the water level is low that sewage overruns the water level which will make them to stop work.
Investigation carried out by our correspondent revealed that the new waste management facilities share the same compound with Ojoku secondary school which is one of the secondary school in the complex.