Ogun community tackles firms as wastewater destroys 15 houses

No fewer than five community development areas in Ijako-Ishaka, Sango Ota, Ogun State, have been thrown into panic over incessant discharge of wastewater into an uncompleted drainage channel in the area.

The affected CDAs are Anuoluwapo, Ifesokan, Ogooluwa, Aseyori and Itesiwaju.

At least 15 houses were said to have been destroyed by the water while about 150 persons had been displaced.

The construction of the drains was allegedly initiated in 2008 by Sona Breweries, which shared premises with Shongai Packaging Industry Limited, a plastic producing company.

The former, however, reportedly sold its property to the Nigerian Breweries Plc about three years ago.

It was said that Shongai Packaging Industry and NB discharged their wastewater into the drains, a major part of which had turned into a gully.

PUNCH Metro gathered that erosion recently led to the collapse of a building, while at least 25 houses were on danger list.

Residents on Monday thronged out to protest against the havoc wreaked by the sewage, lamenting that people were trapped in the gully when it rained.

One of the protesters, Mrs. Stella Afolabi, said the companies had failed to yield to their complaints over the state of the drainage channel, and called on the Ogun State Government to intervene.

She said, “It was Sona Breweries that started the drainage channel, but they did only one quarter of it and abandoned the rest. A lot of houses have been destroyed. People have been rescued from that pit on several occasions during floods.

“The CDAs and area community development committee had written letters to Songai and the Nigerian Breweries to come and complete it, but they refused. Our lives and those of our kids are in danger.”

The Chairman, Anuoluwapo CDA, Mr. Abayomi Salau, said it was unfortunate that the firms were indifferent to the inconveniences the gully caused the residents.

He said, “Sona Breweries started the project. But it sold the company to the Nigerian Breweries without completing the drains. Shongai then dug another drains at the back of its premises and channelled it into the main drainage system through rings. We raised the alarm last year when they started it and ACDC wrote to them to stop, but they didn’t.

“The rings were buried so that no one would see them. We invited them for a meeting, they didn’t show up. Since the Nigerian Breweries bought Sona, it should be responsible for the assets and liabilities of the selling company.

“Officials from the environmental ministry were here a few weeks ago and they promised to meet with the companies. We have been in this problem for about seven years now. At night, heavy wastewater is released from the companies.”

The owner of the collapsed two bed-roomed building, Sola Fatosa, a carpenter, said his five children and wife were asleep on the day their house caved in.

He said his family had been squatting at a relatives’ house in Ijoko since the incident happened.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene on Monday, saw wastewater running though the drains linking a fence at the back of Shongai Packages Industry Limited.

Although the source of the water was not visible, it was observed that there was no water in an adjoining drainage channel around the spot.

But the Human Resources Manager of the company, Mr. Soji Fagbemi, described the allegation that rings were buried at the backyard of the firm as “a mere claim.”

He said, “The floodwaters from our premises don’t pass into the drainage channel in the community. We don’t have any abandoned or uncompleted drainage channel. This company is a law-abiding legal entity.

“We don’t constitute nuisance either to our immediate environment or to outsiders. We even have effluent treating plant, so we don’t discharge any wastewater. What we deal in is dry processing. It doesn’t involve wastewater.”

The Corporate Affairs Adviser, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Mr. Kufre Ekanem, also distanced the company from the condition of the drainage channel.

He said, “There is no dilapidation of our drainage facility as alleged by your sources. It is therefore surprising and unacceptable to sustain the accusation that our drainage facility caused any damage whatsoever to any building.

“You may be interested to know that this allegation has been made by some other parties in the past and proven false after investigations. The representatives of earlier purveyors of this story have been appropriately informed via the lawyers who represented them.”