Residents of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State have raised concerns over an abandoned dumpsite along Sholu-Kajola Road, describing it as a health hazard and a major source of discomfort for communities in the area.

The residents, who spoke with PUNCH Metro in separate interviews on Thursday, said the dumpsite had also worsened the condition of the only road linking the expressway to more than 80 communities and villages.

The communities blamed the situation on activities at the nearby Oja Agbe (Farmers’ Market), located opposite Akukoku Market.

A businessman and an indigene of one of the affected communities, Olatunde Badru, said the dumpsite had almost taken over the road, making movement difficult for residents.

“That dumpsite is less than a minute from the expressway, and it has almost blocked the road completely. It is the major road leading to Sholu Road, Kajola Activity Village and several other communities,” he said.

“People sell and eat food around the area despite the terrible smell coming from the dumpsite. If you get there, you will have to cover your nose because the odour is unbearable.

“Last September, we drew attention to the problem online. Government officials came and promised to clear the waste, but after a few weeks, nothing was done.”

The chairman of the Emilajulo Okepata Community Development Committee, Esther Adelakun, also expressed frustration over what she described as years of neglect by the state government.

“We have done a lot concerning this dumpsite and the bad road. Officials from the Ministries of Works and Environment came to inspect the place and promised to act, but nothing changed,” she said.

“There have been several times when residents contributed N1,000 each to carry out palliative repairs on the road because of the damage caused by the dumpsite.

Under my leadership, we have more than 80 Community Development Associations, and we have repeatedly graded the road ourselves.

“We even went to Ewekoro to get granite to fill parts of the road, but people are already tired because the problem keeps returning. It now feels as if the government no longer exists.

“If the government can assist us, we will be grateful. The dumpsite has exposed residents to diseases, driven businesses away and caused several motorcycle accidents because of the poor condition of the road. Some residents are even leaving their communities because of the smell.”

Adelakun blamed traders at the market for dumping refuse indiscriminately in the area.

“The waste mostly comes from the market. We once cleared and graded the area ourselves, but within three months the refuse returned, and the road became impassable again,” she added.

“The stench is unbearable. Meat sellers and traders dealing in farm produce are seriously affected because customers can hardly stay around the area.”

Another community leader and vice chairman of one of the affected CDCs, Shina Dosumu, said the dumpsite affects several villages and communities in the area.

“It affects more than six villages directly under my area, including Sholu, Kajola, Rerin, Baamu, Ebiti and Ilari, apart from many other communities deeper inside the area,” he said.

“This dumpsite has existed for more than 20 years. The market also has an abattoir, and during the rainy season, the smell becomes almost unbearable.

“It creates serious problems during emergencies because vehicles can hardly pass through the road when it rains. Sometimes residents have to abandon their vehicles because the filth covers everywhere.

“I stopped buying meat and food items from that market because of the smell around the dumpsite. The CDAs and CDCs have tried several times to clear the road, but the problem is beyond what we can handle financially.

"We have written many letters to the government at Oke-Mosan, but nothing has changed. Officials once visited the area with an excavator after residents protested, but they later abandoned the project.”

Dosumu added that the dumpsite had become so bad that two vehicles could no longer use the road at the same time.

“The dumpsite has been there for decades, but it has now become a danger to residents and road users,” he said.

Contacted on Thursday, the state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, told our correspondent that he could not speak at the time because he was attending a formal function. (The PUNCH)