Islamic Ethical Perspective of Environmental Abuse in Lagos State Nigeria

Musthapa Adebayo Bello

doi:10.21154/altahrir.v22i1.4222

Islamic Ethical Perspective of Environmental Abuse in Lagos State Nigeria

Musthapa Adebayo Bello Department of Religions and Peace Studies Lagos State University

https://doi.org/10.21154/altahrir.v22i1.4222

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Keywords: Environment, Environmental Abuse, Islamic Ethics, Physical Protection, Moral Protection

Abstract

The mega city of Lagos is increasingly bugged down by environmental challenges threatening the developmental agenda of successive regimes since the beginning of the 4^th republic. With an estimated population of 21 million people, the environmental landscape is replete with the shattering of the basic elements of nature- land, air and water- which sustain life as a result of human indiscretion in the treatment of the environment. Such abuses constitute daily challenges being addressed by various environmental agencies in the State. Many of such governmental efforts bordering on the management of the physical consequences of environmental abuse have really not addressed the unethical human conducts which more often than not precipitate such avoidable environmental convulsions threatening sustainable development. Contrastingly, religious establishment also on their own focuses on moral protection of the environment thereby revealing a glaringly dichotomy between the approaches. This widening gap is the focus of this paper. Using exploratory and qualitative methods, this study interrogates the Islamic integrated approach as it relates with the roles of Islamic advocacy platform (Minbar) and tool (Khutbah) in the sustenance of the ecological balance ingrained into nature ab initio by Allah.

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References

Information sourced from the Lagos State website www.lagosstate.gov.ng retrieved on 12th April, 2020

Qur’an 55:29-30 reads “Whatsoever is on it (earth) will perish and the face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will abide forever”.

Richard C. Foltz (ed.), Islam and Ecology A Bestowed Trust, (Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2009)

Takeshi Kimura (ed,), Religion, Science and Sustainability (Japan, Union Press, 2008)

Schwencke A. M, Globalised Eco-Islam (A Survey of Global Islamic Environmentalism), (electronic version) (Leiden Institute for Religious Studies, 2012) p. 4

Abdul-Kabir Hussain Solihu, “Making Sense of Natural Disasters: An Islamic Hermeneutics of Malevolent Phenomena in Nature and its Implication for Sustainable Development” in American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences, Volume 24, 2007, 47-67

Ishaq Lakin Akintola, A Study of the Islamic Doctrine of Eschatology (An unpublished PhD Thesis, Faculty of Arts, University of Ilorin, 1990)

S. Nomanul Haq, “Islam and Ecology: Towards Retrieval and Reconstruction” in Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed Trust (Cambridge, Massachusetts, Havard University Press, 2009) 121-154

Popoola Sulayman Akorede, Perceptions of Muslims on the Preservation of the Environment in Lagos State, Nigeria (an unpublished PhD thesis, Department of Religious Studies, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, 2010)

Vanguard Newspaper (online news), July 29, 2020

This was one of features of the Military administration in Lagos as it tackles waste management in the state until the birth of the fourth republic in 1999.

This incident happened along Egbeda/Idimu Road in the Alimosho Local Government area of Lagos State on Saturday, 14th of March, 2021

This is clearly evident in the smooth ride, clean surrounding and sidewalks of the newly constructed Ketu/Ikorodu Road with expanded corridors. Before this intervention, the road used to be filthy and littered with refuse generated by hawkers due to traffic gridlock occasioned by so many pot holes and bad spots on it.

PM Newspaper (www.pmnewsnigeria.com), September 17, 2015

This practice is prevalent along the corridors of major roads in the urban part of Lagos State. Such areas include: Iyana-Ipaja, Egbeda, Ikotun, Iyana Isolo, Iyana-Ejigbo, AbuleEgba, Agbado/Ijaiye, Mushin and Lagos Island.

Self-help in this instance refers to the insistence of some residents in the affected neighbourhood enforcing the clearing of waste generated and the sweeping of the surroundings by the vendors after work.

Though government agencies like Lagos State Taskforce on Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit) and the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) squad are daily battling with curtailing this menace by destroying the unauthorized trading outlets and shanties in different parts of the state, yet the attitude of the residents leave much to be desired. Quite often, one finds new structures springing up from the same spot because of the inability of the enforcement unit to maintain 24 hours surveillance on the area.

Wikipedia (Online Encyclopedia) accessed on 18, May 2020

Charles Kumolu, “Land Reclamation: Safety Concerns in a Sand Filled Lagos” in Vanguard Newspaper (www.vanguardngr.com), July 16, 2014 accessed on 18 May, 2016

Thisday Newspaper, May 2, 2016

Daniel Obaseki, Respiratory System, Lung Function and Exhaled Carbon Monoxide Among a Sample of Traffic Workers in Lagos Nigeria: A Pilot Survey (online article accessed on 28th May, 2020)

An online blog Gistmania Nigeria claimed that Lagos alone has 2,567 registered prostitutes (information accessed on Saturday 28th May, 2020)

Kabukabu is the local name for unregistered and unpainted taxi cabs in Lagos and its environs.

Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth, (London United Kingdom, Islam International Publications Limited 1998) 209

Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge and Truth, 209

Adnan Z. Amin, “Preface to Islam and Ecology” in Islam and Ecology: A Bestowed Trust (Cambridge Massachusetts, Havard University Press, 2009) p. xxxv

Islamic Relief is a UK based Muslim humanitarian organization involved in bringing succor to victims of wars and natural disasters.

Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is established to develop and implement sustainable waste management strategies targeted at improving public health standard. LAWMA was first named Lagos State Refuse Disposal Board in 1977 before it was changed to Lagos State Waste Disposal Board (LSWDB) in 1981. It took its new nomenclature in 1991 under Edit No. 55 which made the agency to be responsible for the collection and disposal of municipal and industrial waste, as well as for the provision of commercial waste services to the state and Local Government services. (Information obtained from LAWMA official website, www.lawma.org.ng accessed on 6th August, 2020.

The mission of Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) is to safeguard environmental quality that is consistent with social and economic needs of the State, so as to protect health, welfare, property and quality of life. The agency is one of the parastatals under the Lagos State Ministry of Environment. (Information obtained from the official website, www.lasepa.org.ng accessed on 6th August, 2020

The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency as established by the Lagos State Structures for Signage and Advertisement Agency Law 2006 and the Amendment thereto is responsible for regulating and controlling outdoor advertising and signage displays in Lagos State. (Information obtained from the official website of LASAA, www.lasaa.com accessed on 6th August, 2020)

The Lagos State government involved the Chief Missionary of Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria and other Christian Missionaries in the media campaign to get Lagosians to pay tax. Similar efforts were made by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) in involving Chief Missionary of NASFAT in Voter and Road Safety education.

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Published

2022-05-24

How to Cite

Bello, M. A. (2022). Islamic Ethical Perspective of Environmental Abuse in Lagos State Nigeria. Al-Tahrir: Jurnal Pemikiran Islam, 22(1), 213-232. https://doi.org/10.21154/altahrir.v22i1.4222

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Vol. 22 No. 1 (2022): Islamic Studies

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