LESSON FROM JAPAN SERIES ONE: TACKLING POLLUTION

Scenarios like this are common senses in Nigerian and many developing countries. 

92 countries including Nigeria signed the “The Minamata Convention” on Mercury, a global legally binding instrument on mercury. This was adopted during a convention held in Minamata, Japan last month (7-11, October, 2013). Today, Japan is one of the industrialised countries in the World. However, the process of industrialization did not come without pain. For those of us in the field of chemistry, environmental health and management words such Minamata disease (mercury poisoning), Itai-itai Disease (cadmium poisoning), Yokkaichi Asthma (pollution from soot and smoke from complex (SOx……) are terms used to explain the effect of industrial pollution on human health and environment.

Let me use the write up of environmental journalist Rebecca Kessler for clearer view point:

“In July 1956, in a fishing village near the city of Minamata on Japan’s Shiranui Sea, a baby girl named Shinobu Sakamoto was born. Her parents soon realized something was wrong. At 3 months old, when healthy babies can hold up their heads, Sakamoto could not. She grew slowly and began crawling unusually late. At age 3 years, she drooled excessively and still couldn't walk. Her parents sent her to live at a local hospital, where she spent four years in therapy to learn to walk, use her hands, and perform other basic functions. Early on, several physicians agreed on a diagnosis of cerebral palsy.

Yet there were signs that Sakamoto’s condition was part of something much bigger. A few years before her birth, dead fish and other sea creatures had begun appearing in Minamata Bay. Seabirds were losing their ability to fly. And cats were dying off, many from convulsions that locals called “dancing disease.” Then, two months before Sakamoto’s birth, an outbreak of an unknown neurological illness was first reported among the area’s fishing families. Sakamoto’s older sister, Mayumi, and several of the family’s neighbours were diagnosed with the mysterious ailment, which was attributed to contaminated seafood. In 1957 scientists gave the ailment a name: Minamata disease.”

Like Japan, many developing countries like Nigeria are going through industrial development. We need to build industries and create jobs for our growing population. However, can pursue development to affect the sustainability of our coming generation. Today, the incidence rate of cancer and other pollution related diseases is on the increase in Nigeria. Last week, Lagos and some states in the country are trying to solve the puzzle concerning the occurrence of cholera. Like joke, a newspaper reported that the source of the spread of the cholera is a local salad some of the people diagnosed eat at Cele Ijesa Bus Stop.

My question is this: the food vendor has been preparing and selling food along the road for years and food expert, environmental health officer, scientific officers, and other regulatory officer has been turning blind eye to the situation because the food vendor is not a company that big enforcement fine can come from. Now people are dying because some sector of the society is not doing what they are paid to do.

The solution of major environmental and health problems in Japan was not champion by the government. The people took their fate into their own hand. In 1969 the people of Minamata took the company (CHISSO LTD (Minamata Factory) to court and finally in 2004 the Supreme Court gave judgement that the polluter (CHISSO LTD) and the government had duty to take measure but neglect it.

My point is this, the medical doctors notice a strange disease, and chemist and environmentalist define the path (wastewater containing (methyl-mercury) (by-product catalyst at acetaldehyde production) to fish &shellfish to human being eating the food product. The other side is our story in Nigeria. Our doctors are always on strike, our academician who are supposed to carry out study are either on strike, selling hand out, or sexually harassing students, the educated in the affected community affected by this situation are either taking contract in the company or getting kick back from the company. The worst part is the lawyers, professional NGO and civil society’s organisations who are supposed to cry out will be taking grants from international organisation and moving around the world attending conference and workshop without any action back home.   

Finally, the media people who are paid to educate the people find joy in sensational story that will sell paper and win awards.  We are all guilty. The time is now to change our ways.