Apprehension in Igando and environs as epidemic looms

Driving through the LASU-Isheri road in Igando, Alimosho Council of Lagos State, one is greeted with a putrid stench hanging thickly in the air at Lanre and Okofili bus stops, where two of the many refuse dumpsites- Solous Two and Solous Three- are located and dominate the area like twin mountains.

A visitor to the area for the first time cannot, but cover his/her nose and hold his/her breath to save himself/herself from the hazard of the foul smell, which appears to have become an integral part of life in the area, as residents get accustomed to it, whilst going about their businesses, seemingly unbothered by the situation.

A few metres apart, Solous 2, by Lanre Bus stop, also called Bola, and Solous 3, close to the Igando General Hospital at Okofili, which seems to be very active, has been rated among the largest in Africa and sits on five hectares of land, with an average of 2,250 tons of refuse dumped there daily.

The Guardian learnt that the sites of the dumpsites were on the outskirts of the metropolis until population expansion, commercial and residential buildings, including a Lagos State-owned nursing school, caught up with them.

Some students of the Department of Nursing, Lagos State University (LASU), which is located inside the Igando General Hospital (LASUTH Annex), were recently reported to have lost consciousness, probably, due to their body system’s inability to cope with the poisonous stench from the site to their hostels.

The Guardian, during a visit to the hospital, discovered that there is also the Igando Maternal Childcare Centre, whose complex is directly opposite the dumpsite, as well as the Igando mini-waterworks of the Lagos State Water Corporation.

The Guardian, November 24, 2018

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