• Illegal gold miners pollute Osun Osogbo, Oyo, Ogun rivers with deadly chemicals, spreading fears of epidemic •Contamination threatens UNESCO site, poses health hazards to Osun Osogbo devotees, millions of others
• How Osun govt is tackling unending hazard
From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Nestled on the outskirts of Osogbo, the capital of Nigeria’s Osun State, lies the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove. It is along the bank of Osun River in Osogbo, and water drawn from the grove is believed to have supernatural powers for healing diseases, and for spiritual solutions to barrenness, apart from other challenges of life.
Every year, especially in August, tourists from different parts of Nigeria and continents of the world always gather in Osogbo for the famous Osun-Osogbo Festival.
The 75-hectare site is a haven for culture and nature, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, due to its outstanding value to humanity. Regarded as the abode of the Yoruba goddess of fertility, Osun, the sacred grove attracts thousands of visitors each year, seeking spiritual solace and marvelling at the artistic initiatives, including the works of Austrian artist, Suzanne Wenger.
Recently, however, this cherished site faces a severe threat that could undermine its significance and discourage tourists. The Osun River, believed to be blessed by the goddess, has become heavily polluted, turning the once-clear water into brown. Despite the contamination, visitors, especially devotees seeking the water’s spiritual power, continue to flock to the grove daily.
Investigations revealed that gold mining activities in Ilesha, a region in Osun State about an hour’s drive from Osogbo, have been the source of the pollution.
On April 9, 2022, Saturday Sun published a comprehensive report on the pollution of River Osun, giving details of studies conducted by Dr. Emmanuel Olusegun Akindele of Obafemi Awolowo University, which confirmed that the river contains dangerous chemicals, including arsenic, lead, and mercury, resulting from gold mining’s devastating effects on water resources.
It is believed that the consequences of this pollution are dire. The contaminated water poses health hazards and is a toxic cocktail destructive to aquatic life, including humans and animals. The rivers downstream, including the Asejire River that supplies water to Oyo and Osun States, also show signs of contamination.
The Osun State Government, despite its efforts to curb illegal mining activities, is constrained by constitutional limits, as mining falls under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government.
A mini-stakeholders’ meeting held on March 30, 2022 and convened by the Osun State Government under the immediate past administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, identified the contamination issue and outlined steps to address it, urging organisations to publish laboratory results on the river’s pollution.
Many have noted that to safeguard the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, urgent collective action is needed. The state government, they insist, must work closely with federal agencies and regulators to enforce sustainable mining practices, just as illegal miners must be held accountable.
Addressing this environmental crisis is indeed crucial to preserving this revered site for generations to come. The Osun River, once a symbol of purity and spirituality, now stands as a testament to the far-reaching consequences of reckless mining activities. Only through concerted efforts can its sacred waters be restored to their former glory.
Every year, the grove attracts thousands of tourists within and outside the country. The visitors to the site have been beholding the wonders of nature as well as the finest artistic initiatives of human beings, especially of an Austrian artist, Suzanne Wenger. Apart from that, they have also been fetching water from the shrine of the Osun River goddess, for spiritual solutions to their problems, especially those who believe in it.
In 2021, the United States Embassy in Nigeria invested in the grove, US$127,000 grant, awarded to CyArk, a California-based non-profit, through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), with a view to digitally documenting and conserving the Busanyin Shrine within the Osun Osogbo sacred grove.
The former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, described the Busanyin Shrine as one of eight monuments within the grove that have been significantly damaged by extreme flooding over the years.
According to her, CyArk and its local partners were awarded a $127,000 grant under the AFCP small grant programme to help document a series of shrines in the sacred grove and provide training to local professionals to build capacity and digital documentation skills and cultural heritage management.
“The 3D digital documentation of the shrine is the necessary first step to provide the most accurate record of the current conditions of the site and effectively plan a restoration project that will increase resilience at the site during a natural disaster or extreme weather conditions.”
The National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) said the Osun-Osogbo sacred grove “is important to many of its devotees, both within and outside the country and other stakeholders, hence, the need to keep it in good state of conservation at all times. This training programme will not only empower the staff of the commission in 3D documentation of cultural heritage but also assist in conservation works to be carried out in the grove.”
Contamination of water in the grove
But one development that can probably rubbish the investments made on the grove, and discourage tourists from visiting the site, has emanated. The water in the grove has been heavily polluted. The colour of the water is now brown.
Still, those that believe in the spiritual power of the water in the shrine of the goddess of the river, have been visiting the grove on daily basis, to get the water.
But a visitor cannot just approach the shine of the goddess and fetch the water by himself or herself. There are always devotees of the goddess in the shrine, who would have to be consulted by anyone that desires the water. The devotees have been the ones that would fetch the water for the visitor, and would also give instructions on how to use the water towards achieving desired results.
When this reporter visited the grove, the artistic works and the different shrines in the grove made the day. Dozens of monkeys were seen in different parts of the grove. Some tourists and others who came to get water from the shrine of the goddess were also sighted.
One of the persons that came to get the water is a woman in her 30s. This reporter accosted the woman, and initiated conversation on what could have polluted the river. He asked if the woman would drink the water with its brownish colour. The woman, simply said: “I am a Yoruba woman and I am based in Abuja. So, for me to have come all the way from Abuja to get this water, you must know that it is for a very important matter.
“I have been married for the past 10 years and there is no issue yet. So, I was told to come and get this water by a spiritualist so that I can get pregnant and give birth to my own baby. So, the colour of this water is of less concern to me. What is important to me is for me to use this water and may God answer my prayers for me not to be barren again.”
When this reporter chatted with women devotees in the groove, fondly called ‘Iya Osun’, they were unhappy about the pollution of the river. One of them lamented: “We come to this grove in the morning and leave for our houses in the evening. So, we used to drink from water fetched from the river. The water was very clear before and if you stand on the bank of the river, where we have the shrine of Osun goddess, you will be able to see the bottom of the river in the areas that are not so deep.
“But now, the water has turned to brown. How can we drink that kind of water? You, our visitor, kindly help us. If you know somebody in government, please help us tell them that they must do something to stop the pollution. You see, my son, the pollution, we were told, is from gold mining in Ilesha.”
Some questions bombarded the mind of this reporter on the health hazard that the consumption of water that has been contaminated by the effects of gold mining in Ilesha, a political division of Osun State, could cause to human beings. Is the goddess of the river happy or unhappy about the pollution? When did the pollution start? How many people have been to the grove to get the water for spiritual solutions to their problems? What is the palace of Ataoja of Osogbo doing to arrest the situation? Are the Osun State Government and the Federal Government concerned about the pollution?
Results of studies carried out on the contamination
Dr. Emmanuel Olusegun Akindele of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in Osun State, Nigeria, in conjunction with some other scholars, conducted series of studies on the cause of the contamination of the Osun-Osogbo River. Samples were collected and taken to the laboratories for testing. It was found out that the water in the Osun River contains dangerous chemicals including, arsenic, lead and mercury. The studies revealed that the dangerous chemicals are always the results of devastating effects of gold mining on nearby water resources.
It was further revealed that gold mining is one of the most destructive industries in the world. This was predicated on the fact that it can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers, and destroy pristine environments. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems.
According to Akindele, the substances found in the water from Osun River, based on contamination from gold mining sites, are carcinogenic. He urged the relevant bodies to work with synergy to attend to the situation urgently in order to safeguards the lives of people that get water from the grove for drinking, especially those that believe in the spiritual power of the water from the sacred grove.
According to experts, the resulting contaminated water is called Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), which is a toxic cocktail uniquely destructive to aquatic life. Apart from drinking water contamination, AMD’s by-products such as mercury and heavy metals work their way into the food chain and sicken people and animals for generations.
Investigation further revealed that the nearest place where gold mining activities are taking place in Osun State, is Ilesha, which is about one hour drive from Osogbo. The contamination, which begins in Ilesha, has been traced to Osun-Osogbo Rivers. It is the same river that passes through the popular Aregbe area of Osogbo.
Research also made it known that the Osun-Osogbo River is the same that goes to the Asejire River, which is the boundary between Oyo and Osun State. Oyo State Government has a dam at Asejire, where water is being processed for supply to households through tap. Though other small rivers joined tyhe river before the water gets to Asejire, the story is also the same up to Ogun River along Ibadan-Eruwa Road. The water in the Asejire River and Ogun River both looks deeply brownish in colour.
Visits to Osogbo and Ilesha
The Osun State Government and traditional rulers of the two major towns may be helpless on controlling mining activities because mineral resources are under the Exclusive List of the Federal Government.
But sources within the two palaces and the two towns made it known that the two palaces had informed the state government and UNESCO about the contamination of the rivers from Ilesha to Osogbo. They added that they were sure that the state must have informed the Federal Government about it.
One of the sources said: “This matter on the contamination is beyond the Ataoja and Owa Obokun. What can they do? The Federal Government is the one giving licences to foreigners to mine gold in Ilesha. But what I have discovered personally is that the licensed companies that are mining gold in Ilesha have proper water management system. But how many are the licensed companies? They should not be more than two.
“But illegal miners are uncountable. They are the ones disposing the wastes from the gold mining activities into rivers. Go to Ilesha, you will see what is happening there. But I will not advise you to go to the mining sites because your security is not guaranteed. The legal and illegal miners have heavily armed security that they are providing for themselves. Then, these people that we call illegal miners have letters from powerful top officials of the Federal Government that they should mine in Ilesha.
“The security agents in Osun State cannot even handle the situation. If they go to the sites, orders have always been coming from above that they should not do anything. It is not that the security agents in the state and the state government do not know what to do. But what can they do now?
Mini stakeholders’ meeting
The leadership of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Ataoja Palace, Osogbo, took part in a mini-stakeholders’ meeting, held at the Education/Heritage Building, inside the Osun Sacred Grove on Wednesday March 30, 2022 on the contamination of the Osun River.
An eight-point communiqué was issued at the end the meeting. It was decided at the meeting that no mining activities were taking place within and around Osun Sacred Grove, and that it’s obvious that there’s a significant change in the colour of Osun River. It was added that a non-governmental organisation that has carried out studies on the river – Urban Alert, should publish laboratory results on pollution of Osun River.
The communiqué also stated that confirmatory tests should be carried out by Osun State government, through Osun State University and that National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) carries out another test through the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). It was also resolved that the “consumption of Osun River as Agbo (herbal medicine) should be suspended for a while, until the issue of pollution is resolved.
“Mining sublease by any licence holder (state government and private firms) should ensure that the company they sublet must have capacity in terms of technology and reclamation plan, while relevant regulators must be carried along. Alluvial gold mining should be suspended for now until all the issues of pollution are resolved. Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel development as well as MERINCO should step up their regulatory activities to ensure sustainable mining.”
After the meeting last year, Osun State Government swung into action. By March 30 2022, it declared war on illegal miners, that were known in the circle of Federal Government as unorganised miners.
Osun State government under Oyetola
The then Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation in Osun State in the administration of former Govenor Gboyega Oyetola, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, said before the administration left office that the state government was ready to launch a full-blown war on illegal mining activities in the state. She, however, lamented that the state was constrained by constitutional limits, where the Federal Government exercises exclusive jurisdiction over mining. The past administration set up a committee on the issue, but the report of the committee was not made public before the administration left power in November 2022.
Adeleke’s actions against pollution
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State inaugurated a committee in December 2022, barely one month after he got to office, for the purpose of monitoring and regulating mining activities in the state
The governor expressed concern over the damaging impact of illegal mining on the well-being of residents of Osun State. He also pledged to crack down on all illegal mining within the boundaries of the law.
Adeleke called on legitimate miners, who have contributed to land degradation and water pollution in the state, to take immediate action to address the situation.
He asserted that the cost of the clean-up exercise would be borne by mining companies. He also vowed to recover all outstanding debts owed by mining companies to the state and called for the arrest and prosecution of members of illegal mining syndicates.
Adeleke said: “Osun State has been subjected to intense environmental degradation arising from activities of mining companies. River Osun has been polluted and our people are dying as related sicknesses are spreading. These are sad realities, which none of the mining companies has raised a finger to address.
“My administration will insist on the companies paying for the cleaning up of our rivers and environment. Segilola and other companies operating in our state should take note that cleaning up of our environment is going to be a continuous exercise and the resulting expenditure is to be borne by the companies.”
The governor also vowed to collect all royalties that mining companies have not been remitting to the state in the past 25 years.
His words: “Osun State, according to extant laws, is entitled to 13 per cent derivation from every ounce of gold extracted from our gold and other solid mineral fields.”
In the first week of June 2023, Governor Ademola Adeleke, who took over the reins of power in Osun State in November 2022, launched an action against the pollution of the river. It was a flag-off of the reclamation of the river, geared towards cleaning up the river because of pollution of Osun River from the activities of miners operating in Osun State. The flag-off of the reclamation exercise took place at Idominasi.
The government directed miners to put mechanisms in place for treating polluted water used for their mining activities, before releasing same into tributaries that lead into Osun River.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Solid Minerals and Environment, Prof Lukmon Jimoda, said in a statement published by the Ministry of Information bulletin of the state, that the activities of the miners came with adverse effect on some tributaries that run into Osun River. He stated that it was imperative for the government to take the decision with a view to cleaning the water and ensure its safety for tourists.
Jimoda, who spoke through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Oladele Olawuni, at the flag-off ceremony, said it was mandatory for all miners in the state to always cover dug sites.
His words: “The various activities of miners in the state have put Osun River tributaries under pressure, thereby polluting the river, which is a serious tourist attraction for different tourists globally. This necessitates the decision of the state government to clean it up.
“We have also made it a point of duty to sensitise miners on the need to treat water used for their activities before releasing it into the tributaries, as well as cover dug sites before moving out of those areas for safety of the people.
“Any miner, who failed to comply with extant mining rules will either be fined, sanctioned and if possible, get his or her contract terminated.”
The Director, Environmental Health in the Ministry, Biola Oni, said the contractor for the project had moved to the site, and has commenced the job. The state government, according to him, was in the know of the danger the pollution constitutes to residents of the state and tourists. He assured stakeholders that no stone would be left unturned towards bringing back the Osun River to its actual state.
The contract for Reclamation of Osun River was awarded to a consultant to block tributaries created by miners, using alluvial bars to make the Osun River safe for people, either in the state or tourists.
The consultant, Mr. Shamsudeen Newton Alabi, noted that the exercise would restore the Osun River to its original state, which is important for tourism. He advised miners to use known best practices and do it sustainably, so the environment can also support the economy of the state.
Efforts to get more facts on how the state government was further tackling the issue were unfruitful. Calls placed to the governor’s spokesman, Mr Olawale Rasheed, were neither picked nor returned, while messages sent to his phone were not replied.
