By Akinwale Kasali
The Ogun State Ministry Of Environment has clamped down on some companies in the State over a cholera outbreak
The State Government has shut down an agro- processing company, Supreme Agro Limited in Igbesa community, Ado Odo Local Council, for alleged serious industrial pollution that has destroyed the ecosystem of the host community.
Ola Oresanya, the Commissioner of Environment said the sanction came after several complaints from the Igbesa community and subsequent verification, and warnings by the State Environmental Task Force and the Commissioner.
Oresanya said despite earlier denial, the company was found guilty of industrial pollution as it discharges its untreated wastewater into the community, which has greatly affected the well-being of residents, leading to the Cholera Outbreak.
The former Boss of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, said rather than install effluent plants that would contain the waste water, remove the hazardous components and restore it back to a safe level before discharge to surrounding water bodies, the company bye-passed the plant and discharged the wastewater directly into the community, which did not only constitute an eyesore but impacted negatively on the environment.
He said the State Government will not look away from such behaviour which will have an adverse health implications on the well-being of the residents of their host community.
The Commissioner said the company will remain shut until it restores the environment back to normal, and be more responsible in their production processes as well as carry their host community along with their level of remediation.
He extolled Igbesa Traditional Council for notifying the Government of the unethical environmental practices of the company.
He urged other Councils, communities, residents and public-spirited individuals to join the state in enthroning proper environmental governance statewide.
Oresanya used the opportunity to warn companies operating in the state that while the government will continue to provide an enabling environment for them to operate as the industrial capital of the country, it will not tolerate any carelessness in their production processes.
“They must be straight and do the right things all the time as the state government will always reward companies that operate in accordance with global environmental best practices,” he added.
