By ADEMOLA ORUNBON
IN November 2012, some stakeholders in Ogun State, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Tricycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (TORAN), ACOMORAN, AMORAN and others called on the state government to reintroduce emission control to curtail the increasing air pollution in the state.
Emission is the term used to describe the gases and particles which are put into air or emitted by various sources, but the amounts and types of emissions change yearly. These changes are caused by changes in the nation’s economy, industrial activity, technology improvements, traffic and by many other factors.
In order to make improvements in air quality, the amount of pollutants in the air must be measured. The emissions measurement centre develops standards and evaluates testing methods so that regulations can be developed and enforced. An emission factor is a relationship between the amount of emissions that are released and the activity of the producer. Emission factors are used to predict emission levels for different industries.
Though, emission inventories are quantities of pollutants measured over time. Emission inventories can be compared with air pollutant level in an area to determine if increased emissions decrease the air quality.
Once the measurements are made, the information must be collected and stored so that it can be used to evaluate the air quality and effects of the regulations. The Clearing House for Inventories and Emissions Factors (CHIEF) is a centralised resource for emission data.
The former State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Adebayo Fari, may have sounded merely advisory but emission control is necessary to attain a healthy Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole. It is necessary to rid the state of poor air quality through redesigning the programme and enlightening the stakeholders involved to fight against air pollution. The major source of pollution is from vehicular and power generating set emission which accounts for more than 90% of all sources of air pollution.
Most people don’t really know the danger of air pollution and it is the responsibility of government to constantly enlighten them on the damage to human health caused by air pollution.
However, researches and studies have shown that of all the sources of air pollution, vehicular emission accounts for more than 50% followed by industrial discharges.
Emission control is not new in Ogun. Its abuse and mismanagement led to its cancellation, but there is a need to reintroduce it to save the masses from untimely death. The emission control scheme should not be limited to transporters and industrialists in the state, but should be extended to those who use generators for their day-to-day activities as those also contribute at least 40% of air pollution.
Now, it is imperative for the residents of the state to cooperate with the state government to protect the public from the hazard of air pollution in the state, as the government cannot shoulder the responsibility of curtailing air pollution in the state alone. The breathing in of polluted air in the society and releasing of carbon dioxide has a lot to do with human health. Most of the air we breathe in has been polluted by vehicular, gaseous and industrial discharges.
I call on the General Manager of Parks and Garages Development Board (PAGADEB), Ayo Ogunsolu, to admonish transport unions in the state on the danger of air pollution. I also advise all residents to be patient, cooperate with the government and be law abiding to avoid any altercation and embarrassment when emission control is introduced.
The programme will not be designed to extort money from anybody, either transporters, industrialists and others but to protect the public from the hazards of air pollution and to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
Moreover, the overhauling of the scheme in the state is necessary for optimum performance, and to bring the air pollution in the state to the barest minimum for the inhabitants and the residents. It is timely and should be accepted by all in the state. Transporters, industrialists should not avoid the state.
It is now important for all stakeholders in the state to work hand in glove with the Ogun state government to rid the State of air pollution hazards in line with the United Nations (UN) and other relevant international agencies’ efforts to check, control and monitor vehicular emissions.
Section 20, of the 1999 Constitution (which is non-justiceable pursuant to Section 6(6) (C)) stipulates that “The state shall protect and improve the environment.” Of course, everything cannot be left to the government alone. We have our duties. Pursuant to Section 24, 1999 Constitution, one of which is for each one of us to “make positive and useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of the community where he resides” (S.24 (d)).
I commend the Ogun State Ministry of Environment, Parks and Garages Development Board (PAGADEB), and Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), for organising Environmental Sanitation Advocacy seminars in the past. It is time for the state government to look inwards and proffer a lasting solution to the high level of air pollution in the state. I hope that with well-designed enlightenment programmes, the people will know what to do, and what not to do, to prevent air pollution.
n Orunbon writes from Abeokuta via: orunboni[email protected]