The residents of Era Community in Oriade Development Council, Ojo, Lagos State, have petitioned the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for urgent intervention regarding the damage allegedly caused by dredgers in their community.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, the Baale of Era Community, Olumide Erinle, lamented that the community had lost its peace and development since about 20 dredgers invaded it. He stated that the dredgers were causing deforestation and destruction of roads and the environment. According to Erinle, everything started to deteriorate for the residents once the dredgers arrived, disrupting the livelihood of many, particularly those involved in fishing.
“A lot of our men and women, who are fishers by nature, have been thrown out of their jobs,” Erinle stated. He also mentioned that property owners in the area had abandoned their homes due to the deteriorating conditions. “A lot of them have abandoned their houses and left this community; some are just selling them and moving away because the roads are in shambles,” he lamented, describing the roads as completely collapsed.
Erinle emphasized that the community had reached out to various government bodies, including the state government, the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and the Lagos State Waterfronts Authority, but to no avail. He noted that following the community’s petition, the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Mrs. Sarah Braimah, had criticized the dredgers for taking advantage of the community and was working towards resolving the issue. However, a Memorandum of Understanding drafted after a meeting with the dredgers had not been implemented for years.
“We are tired. If we are not benefiting anything from them, they are adding more pain to us. They should please vacate our community in the interest of peace,” Erinle appealed. He urged the state government to assist in addressing the environmental degradation in the area.
In response, the General Secretary of the Dredgers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Richard Ntan, suggested that the community should formally report their grievances to the regulatory authorities. “If they feel that dredgers are spoiling their environment, they should write to our regulators. Then, we will go for an inspection to see if dredgers are actually spoiling their environment,” Ntan said. He also remarked that sometimes community complaints arise from financial motivations, despite the employment opportunities dredging purportedly provides.
