Daniel Kanu
Worried about the sustained promotion of genetically-motivated organisms in Lagos State and its inherent dangers to the health of citizens, environmental groups have asked the state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to take the bull by the horn by banning GMO products.
The civil society groups: Health of Mother Earth Foundation, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Convener of Nigerians against GMOs, Peace, and Development Project, Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights, Child-Health Organisation, Spaces for Change, Justice Development and Peace Commission, Joint Action Front, and Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection in a petition letter they signed and sent to Sanwo-Olu dated 17 March 2020, urged him to do the needful and outlaw genetically-engineered crops as well as repeal the national biosafety management agency act.
Part of the letter reads: “We are submitting this petition through you because Lagos, by virtue of its enviable position among the states in Nigeria, and its population, is most at risk of reception of GMOs.
‘Mr. Governor, we demand a ban on GMOs and a repeal of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act which came into force in the year 2015 and was reviewed in 2019 to include emerging and even more contentious aspects of extremely-risky modern biotechnology.
GMOs are products of genetic engineering which is a technology that allows scientists to create plants, animals, and micro-organisms by manipulating genes at the cellular level in a way that is not possible via traditional or natural processes. It allows DNA from one type of organism to be introduced into another related or unrelated species. Genetic manipulation is also done within a single organism. This is harmful to the human system.”
However, the groups demanded nullification of the permits issued to organisations for the importation and release of genetically-modified maize, beans, cotton into the country, insisting that the permits have been issued without regard to the complaints by millions of Nigerians and without the consent of many Nigerians who should not be used as pawns or as guinea pigs in furtherance of blatant commercial interests.
Also the groups “demand close surveillance of our markets and farms to halt the illegal entry of GMOs into Nigeria and into our food supply.
“We demand a ban on all toxic agrochemicals – especially glyphosate-containing ones identified as probable carcinogens.
“We demand a halt to the assault on our agriculture through genetic modification of our staple crops including cassava. We urge that Nigeria should be circumspect about technologies that aim to contaminate our environment, destroy our agriculture, culture and rupture our socio-economic fabric and assert unbridled controls over our agriculture and foods.”
The letter was submitted by Nnimmo Bassey (Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation), Akinbode Oluwafemi (Deputy Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (Convener of Nigerians against GMOs), Abayomi Francis (Peace and Development Project), Alex Omotehinse (Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights ) Vicky Urenma (ChildHealth Organisation) Victoria Ohaeri (Spaces for Change), Achike Chude (Justice Development and Peace Commission), Abiodun Aremu (Joint Action Front) Betty Abah (Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection) during a rally that mobilised their members as well as the public to Alausa, office of the governor.
Phillip Jakpor, ERA media/ publicity coordinator told Daily Sun that “Nigerians are consuming foods bought from the market shelves without any idea that they are made from the genetically-modified organisms.”