THE Ogun State government, through its Environmental Protection Agency, announced that five industries have been sealed for violating environmental laws and putting the surrounding communities at risk.
This was revealed in a statement issued yesterday in Abeokuta, the state capital, by Farook Akintunde, the Chairman of the Ogun State Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement and Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Environment.
The affected companies include Nixim Paper Limited and Long Xiang Aluminum, both located along the Sagamu axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, New Shidai Manufacturing Limited in Mowe, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, and two unregistered companies operating illegally in the Ogere axis of the same expressway.
Akintunde explained that the companies were shut down after the Environmental Protection Agency received complaints from local residents about the continuous discharge of untreated wastewater into the environment.
“The agency verified the claims and issued a Stop Work Order, instructing the companies to cease production and correct the violations,” he said.
“However, rather than complying with the order, they ignored it and continued polluting the environment with harmful wastewater,” Akintunde added.
“This left the state government with no choice but to shut them down to protect the public and compel them to halt their dangerous environmental practices. It was also discovered that these companies lacked the required Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP) to manage their wastewater.”
Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde, the Special Adviser to the Governor on the State Environmental Protection Agency, emphasized that the companies will now be forced to comply with wastewater regulations, which are essential for preventing water pollution and maintaining water quality standards.
“The state environmental protection agency will continue to uphold the highest environmental standards as outlined in the Ogun State Green Book, which governs environmental practices in the state,” Kehinde stated.
Regarding the two unregistered companies, Kehinde added that they must complete the necessary registration with the state government and fulfill all operational requirements before being allowed to resume operations.