AKUTE, LAMBE AND CRISIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

ENIOLA OLORUNOSEBI urges Gov. Dapo Abiodun to restore order in border towns near Lagos

Let me begin by commending your administration for the bold and much-needed initiative to transform road infrastructure in Ogun State’s border communities, particularly those adjacent to Lagos. The roadwork currently underway is a clear signal that Ogun is prepared to reposition itself as a hub of progress, mobility, and economic growth. For far too long, these towns—densely populated yet poorly regulated—have existed in a state of neglect. Your intervention is long overdue and deeply appreciated.

However, while these infrastructural projects are praiseworthy, I write to call your attention to an equally urgent and escalating crisis—one that affects the very quality of life of your citizens: the environmental and regulatory chaos that defines life in many of these border communities, most especially the Lambe-Akute axis.

These towns are rapidly urbanizing. Thousands pour into them daily from Lagos, seeking affordable housing and proximity to their places of work. What they find, however, is a region buckling under the weight of its own unregulated growth. The absence of firm and visible government presence has allowed an unfortunate culture of lawlessness to take deep root.

One of the most pressing issues is noise pollution, and it is no exaggeration to describe it as a form of environmental terrorism. In the Lambe-Akute area, residents have all but surrendered their right to peace and sanity. Religious organisations, in blatant disregard of existing environmental and zoning laws, mount loudspeakers daily—sometimes hourly—and hold worship services deep into the night, often in the middle of residential neighborhoods. The situation becomes unbearable during vigils, which stretch into the early hours of the morning, disrupting sleep, work-life balance, and in many cases, health.

This is not an attack on religion. It is a plea for sanity and the protection of all citizens under the law. Ogun State’s environmental statutes do not support such indiscriminate and unregulated use of sound in residential areas. Yet enforcement is weak to non-existent. Meanwhile, Lagos State—your immediate neighbor—has made considerable strides in regulating noise pollution through its Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), and the benefits are evident. Your government must take similarly bold steps.

But the menace is not limited to religious institutions. Private schools, some no more than glorified daycare centers, have also become noise-generating hubs—blaring music for morning assembly, using megaphones to communicate with children, and disturbing entire communities with unchecked activities. These institutions must be brought under strict environmental regulation, with specific and enforceable limits on sound levels and operating hours.

Equally urgent is the recurring and predictable nightmare of flooding. Each rainy season, entire communities are submerged—trapped in their homes or cut off by impassable roads. In many cases, this is the direct result of illegal construction on water channels, blocked drains, and the absence of a coherent drainage plan. These floods are not acts of God; they are man-made disasters enabled by lax governance.

Your Excellency, the environmental health of these communities is not just about aesthetics or convenience—it is about the safety, dignity, and mental well-being of the people you swore to serve. While the new roads will bring greater access and investment, they will not bring peace if the communities around them are dysfunctional.

You have the law on your side. Ogun State’s environmental codes are clear and comprehensive. What is needed now is visible governance—a consistent and deliberate presence that assures citizens they are not abandoned. Empower environmental agencies. Enforce zoning laws. Penalize violations, and most importantly, create a sustained public awareness campaign to guide residents, religious bodies, and businesses alike.

Ogun State cannot afford to be the lawless extension of Lagos. It must chart its own path—rooted in order, respect for the rule of law, and a vision of sustainable development. The people of Lambe, Akute, Agbado, Ijoko, and many more are watching—and hoping. Your recent infrastructural strides have shown what is possible when leadership is committed. The same urgency must now be applied to the environmental and regulatory challenges that threaten to erase those gains.

 Your Excellency, the time to act is now.

 Olorunosebi w