26 Oluremi Adesina Street
Ikeja, Lagos.
19th June, 2000
The Director,
Environmental Protect Agency
18 Creek Road
Yaba, Lagos.
Dear Sir,

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION OF MY AREA
I am writing to formally bring to your attention the environmental pollution of my area which has made life unbearable for the poeple of the place. Cur environment is highly polluted to the extent that breathing has become difficult. The air we breathe in and out is heavily polluted and the community stands the risk of an epidemic outbreak.
Refuse is dumped indiscriminately by the roadside and human feaces and toxic waste are emptied into the nearby stream. As a result of this, the stream which was flowing before is now stagnant, thus becomimg a breeding place for mosquitoes. What further complicates the whole situation is that some illiterate women do go to this stream to fetch water they use for cooking and other domestic chores. Some even drink the water from this stream. This has constituted a health hazard in the area as an epidemic can break out from this unhealthy condition and before we know it, many lives will be lost.
The textile and the iron-smelting companies in our area have further worsened the situation as their furnace emit dark smokes into the air everyday. On every working day, our environment is highly polluted with smoke which makes breathing difficult for us. We only have respite at week-ends when these companies are not working. The toxic water coming out of the textile factory is another source of environmental pollution. Though the toxic water flows into the nearby canal, it leaves behind a greenish stain on the side of the gutter and I know it must be emitting some poisonous gases into the air.
We are prone to a lot of health hazards, to say the least, and we want the government to come to our aid. This is very necessary in order to avert an outbreak of epidemic in the area.
Recently, there were cases of some residents of the area who were taken to the hospital and they were diagnosed to have kidney problems. This is not unconnected with the impure air they breathed in. We would appreciate it if you could use your good offices to put in place a new and modern means of disposing toxic waste in our area. The waste disposal board has to consider our area as a high risk area and treat it as such with utmost urgency.
I would be grateful if you could pay a visit to our community in order to be able to assess the situation and take urgent action to improve this unwholesome situation.
Yours faithfully,
(Signature)
Olukunle Ebun