BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Experts have expressed concern that the people of the South-West may be at the risk of having a severe health crisis as a result of the continuous pollution of the Osun River which they drink and use for sundry other domestic purposes.
A civil society group, Urban Alert, disclosed that the Osun River, which flows across Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo and Lagos, had been contaminated with heavy metals such as Lead, Cyanide and Mercury as a result of the indiscriminate mining activities in Ijesaland.
In an interview in Osogbo, Osun State, the Executive Director of the organisation, Anthony Adejuwon, explained that the Osun River, flowing across the South West states, except Ondo, and being consumed by majority of the people, could have adverse effect on their health and wellness as a result of the unwholesome practices of the illegal miners in Osun State.
Adejuwon, who noted that the situation raised public health concern, said that the current state of the water could cause a health crisis for the people of the affected states if no urgent steps were taken to clean up the toxic elements in the water body.
He explained that the activities of gold miners in Ijesaland led to the pollution of the water with potential of jeopardising the health of over two million residents of, at least, 20 communities in Osun State as well as residents of four other states.
The people, he said, were at the risk of having water-related health complications such as brain and kidney failure, cancer, hearing loss, growth retardation, anaemia, impaired vision, paralysis and death.
He explained that the various diseases may start manifesting in about five to 10 years.
Adejuwon said, “Sometimes in 2018, residents of Osun State started seeing a change in the colour of Osun River. Initially, we thought that it was as a result of the flood and we thought it would return to its normal colour. But, from 2018 till date, the colour remains brown. There are documents to show the colour of the water before 2018.
“There had been media campaigns whereby some residents of the state asked questions about the contaminated water. Even the Osun State House of Assembly sent delegates to check the water and see what the problem was. The government also reacted by setting up the Mineral Resources and Environmental Management Committee to see to problems.
“It could be recalled that even during the launch of the committee, the state governor (Gboyega Oyetola) affirmed that the Osun River had been polluted with heavy metals. Even after setting up this committee, nine months after, nothing has changed.
“As an organisation that is rooted in data, we carried out research on the colour change by doing what we call physicochemical and microbiological tests which were led by researchers from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Unfortunately, the result came out and it showed that the Osun River has been heavily polluted with mercury, lead, cyanide and other harmful microbial elements.
“We also carried out a geographical information analysis that showed that the contamination was as a result of gold mining activities happening in some part of the state. Checking the records, we found that these elements are being used by gold miners.
“You will recall that sometime in 2013 in Zamfara State, 400 children died of lead poisoning and data shows that gold miners in the country make use of these heavy metals for their activities. Now, the big problem is this; in Zamfara, where their operations differ from ours in Osun, the miners in Osun wash what they dig from the ground using Osun River water and after using it, they discharge the water into the Osun River. This water flows through many communities, in fact, data shows that it flows through 20 communities in Osun alone.
“Osun River covers like five states in the South West except Ondo State. From the source of the Osun River in Ekiti State, the water is so clean. But in Osun, it changed colour and it is a UNESCO World heritage site and a national monument that we are talking about. A lot of lives are involved in this. Something should be done to stop the activities of the miners who are using heavy equipment and the toxicity in the water should be removed.”
He urged stakeholders in Osun State to call the attention of the state government to the situation with a view to putting a stop to the activities of the gold miners which lead to the pollution of the water being used by three major bottling companies in Osun and Oyo States.
“We are also afraid that the lives of Osun River devotees, traditionalists, local and foreign tourists of the Osun-Osogbo Grove are also in danger. It is disheartening to see that governments at all levels remained incapacitated on why it is difficult to end this life-threatening situation whose negative impacts would lead to the death of many in few years.
“We officially informed the Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, towards the end of 2021. We sent a letter to his office. We sent a letter electronically to the senators representing the state at the National Assembly. We urge stakeholders to add their voices to save people’s lives,” Adejuwon said.
Dipo Alani, a retired Director, Flood Control and Engineering Services, Osun State, warned that women and children may be worse hit by the crisis if not promptly addressed, saying that urgent steps must be taken to prevent the looming disaster.
“The problem we have should worry all of us but I am embittered that the government has not taken bold steps in preventing the damage that it could cause now or in future. Osun River is heavily polluted; the visual appearance alone lends credence to this.
“These injurious elements will be infused into our system through what we consume. Those who live close to the river use it to irrigate their farms and when you use contaminated water to irrigate farms, these elements will be stored within the tissues of the plant and it would be injurious to health. This problem might start manifesting maybe between 10 and 15 years. We are in a serious problem because mercury and lead have many effects on women, children and the unborn child. The state and federal governments need to act,” the expert said.
Notwithstanding the grim picture, devotees of the Osun River and other traditionalists have continued to visit the Grove to get rid of the polluted water. They expressed faith that the water goddess (Osun) would disable the effect of the pollution of the water.
When contacted for reaction, the Osun Grove Manager, Adekunle Fatai, said that the devotees held the trust that the water could do them no harm. Nonetheless, Fatai urged the Urban Alert to furnish it with copies of the results of the tests that were conducted to back the claim that the Osun River had been contaminated.
“Have they done the necessary analysis? If they have taken (the sample of) the water to the laboratory, they should give us the report. We want them to show us the result, and that will be proof. What we don’t see, we don’t act upon. Nothing is wrong with the Osun River. We (devotees) are still making use of the water and people are coming for it,” Fatai said.
A devotee, Alake Osungbemi, told The Point that she believed that the Osun River goddess would not harbour any contamination in its water body, adding that its change in colour would not stop the devotees from drinking the water.
“I heard on the radio that our river (Osun River) is polluted but I don’t believe it because ‘Yeye Osun’ (the Osun River goddess) would not allow such. We are still making use of the water,” she said.
When contacted, the Commissioner for Environment in Osun State, Sola Oladepo, referred our correspondent to Ismail Omipidan, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Gboyega Oyetola. However, when contacted, Omipidan said, “Nothing is wrong with the Osun River. We are yet to see any result to show any contamination.”
