By Our Correspondent
In its continued efforts at shielding its residents from harmful effects of environmental infractions, Ogun State government has shut down Food Agro and Allied Industries Limited, along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ijako, Sango-Ota, for violating environmental infractions and disobeying government’s order.
Speaking during an inspection at Sango-Ota, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, who doubles as Chairman of the state Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Alhaji Farook Akintunde, said the company was found guilty of bye-passing its Effluent Treatment Plants, thereby releasing untreated waste-water to the immediate environment, especially the newly rehabilitated Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, which tantamount to wilfully destroying public infrastructures, as well as exposing residents of the area to health hazards.
Alhaji Akintunde added that the company was equally culpable of degrading the environment through oil spillage, which was not only harmful, but would have a negative impact on the groundwater of immediate communities.
"To worsen issues, the company refused all previous entreaties to make corrections on the noted infractions and flagrantly disobeyed a stop-work order from the state government.
"The government therefore had no other alternative than to close down the company to restore environmental sanity in the company and stop it from further degrading its immediate communities", he said.
The Governor’s aide stressed that the company would remain shut until all identified infractions were corrected and certified by the state government, noting that the Ministry would continue to enforce needed environmental compliance.
While commending industries that operate in line with government regulations, he counselled environmental violators to desist, as the state was working towards ensuring proper environmental governance within the state.
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