The Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) has taken decisive action against environmental violations by shutting down five industries in the state.
The companies affected 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 near Ogere along the same expressway.
The closure was enforced after the Chairman of the Ogun State Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Farook Akintunde, who also serves as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, led a team to inspect the companies.
The task force acted following complaints from nearby communities regarding the continuous discharge of untreated wastewater into the environment by these companies.
Akintunde stated, “This was confirmed by OGEPA which issued a Stop Work Order for them to stop production and correct the anomaly.
“Instead of them to obey the order, they ignored it and continued to degrade the environment with the discharge of their harmful untreated wastewater into their immediate communities,” he said.
He added “The state government was therefore left with no options than to shut them down in the overriding public interest and compelled them to stop their harmful environmental practice as it was also discovered that they don’t have Effluent Treatment Plants ETP which they must have and installed to stop their incessant and harmful wastewater discharge”
