WASTE OIL AND LAGOS WATER BODIES

‘’Thank you all for your wishes. You made my birthday really all the more special. However, I have a special request. From January, 2014 kindly start to store your generator waste oil and call me when you have four litres. Thank you all.’’

After sending this message after my birthday, somebody asked this question: Haba bro kenny u and business.

Now this is the reason for my request:

Last year I had a work day out with a generator workman in my area. I told him I will want to be an apprentice with him for a day. From VGC to Abraham Adesanya, from Abraham Adesanya to Co-operative Villa, my friend worked on over 15 generators. By 3.30pm I was so stress, I asked for permission to leave. In all, only 3 houses had in place waste oil storage system. In total over, 30 litres of waste oil had been dumped into drain and open land.

With the uses of generators on increase in Nigeria, if this trend continues in Lagos, we will have problem.

Let me present a finding from recent study on Lagos Lagoon:

‘’Though high molecular weight PAHs were found to bioaccumulated more than the lower ones in wholefish, phenanthrene and naphthalene were identified as the dominant PAHs in fillet tissues of both fish and invertebrates from Lagos Lagoon. When compared with reports from other parts of Nigeria and other parts of the world, this study shows that fish and invertebrates from Lagos Lagoon were more contaminated with PAHs. PAHs were found in fish of all ages therefore this result suggests that fishes are exposed to and accumulate PAHs from the early stage of their lives through different developmental stages up to maturity and that sources of PAHs are present and available to fish in Lagos Lagoon due to regular discharges from several sources.’’ Olayinkan et al 2012.

 Now, as a stakeholder in the management of Environment in Lagos State. Can you help me to answer these questions: where is the waste oil from generator servicing and repairs goes to, do company who services generators have a waste oil collection system and management.

I will be sending a petition letter to His Excellency, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola to mandate ever oil marketing company in Lagos State to start a waste oil exchange program. In this program, the company should show evidence of waste oil collection that is 50% equivalent to their sale in a year.    

Please let join hand together and save our water bodies. JOIN AND SIGN THE WASTE OIL COLLECTION PROGRAM PETITION TODAY.