The Ogun State government has commenced a “Free Lead Poisoning Test” on the residents of Ogijo town especially those living around the six Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) Industries and their workers.
Making this known was the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker who said the free lead poisoning test was necessary as part of the efforts at getting to the root of an alleged Lead Poisoning in Ogijo community caused by the emission from the seven recently shut ULAB Recycling Industries which was brought to the spotlight from a viral video which led to the temporary suspension of Ingot export from the State,
Dr. Coker said the “Lead Testing Centre” with medical experts and full complement of medical equipment had already been set up at the Ogijo Primary Health Centre and had commenced operations.
Leading a State delegation alongside her Ministry of Environment counterpart, Dr. Ola Oresanya, with other medical and environment experts from the Ministry of Health, Environment and the State Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA, where they had a meeting with the executive committee members of Community Development Associations CDAs in Ogijo and the Ologijo in Council at the Ologijo Palace.
She called on the CDAs and the Ologijo in Council to inform all their communities about the importance of the lead test and encouraged them to make use of the opportunity to know their Lead status, stating that the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration would never trade their well-being for economic and industrial gains.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, announced that the Process Audit of the seven ULAB Industries, including the Steel Industries also situated in the town would start this week, adding that any industry that fails the Process Audit would be shut permanently until total compliance is ensured.
He therefore called on executives of the Community Development Associations CDAs to put aside the economic benefits they and their members had been deriving from the companies and cooperate with the State government to enforce Industrial environmental standard, adding that government had good intentions for them, hence, the priority of their health.
Oresanya also used the opportunity to counsel the CDAs on the need to stop selling lands for Industries in residential areas, noting that government would not give approval for building of industries in residential areas, advising those willing to build industries to go to Industrial clusters.
Responding the Ologijo of Ogijo, Oba Kazeem Olaonipekun Gbadamosi represented by Lisa of Ogijo, Chief Sunday Lawal thanked the State government for its timely response to the alleged lead poisoning and the conduct of free lead test for residents of the town, while some CDAs officers, namely, Adesina Adeyemi, Ganiu Tiamiyu, Gboyega Usman and Tunde Rufus promised to take the message back to their members for better understanding and collaboration with the State government.
