Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
In its continued efforts to ensure an environment free of any form of hazard, the Ogun State government has shut down an agro-processing company, Supreme Agro Limited, in Igbesa, Ado Odo Local Government Area of the State, for serious industrial pollution that has destroyed the ecosystem of its host community.
The action followed several complaints from the Igbesa Community and subsequent verification and warnings by the Ogun State Environmental Task Force. Speaking on the development, Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the company despite its earlier denial, was found guilty of industrial pollution as it discharges its untreated wastewater into the community which has greatly affected the well-being of residents of the area.
According to the Commissioner, rather than installing effluent plants that would contain the wastewater and remove hazardous components before discharging them to surrounding water bodies, the company bye-passed the plant and discharged the wastewater directly into the community which not constitute an eyesore but impacted negatively on the environment.
“This is a very selfish and callous behaviour on the part of the company because these wastewater have hazardous components such as heavy metals in them as well as carcinogenic materials and chemicals which when they get to the environment becomes injurious to the people leading to unwarranted deaths.
“The state government will not look away from such behaviour which will impact negatively on the well-being of their host community,” he stated. Oresanya, however, insisted that the company would remain shut until it carries out remediation measures and be more responsible in its production processes and carries its host community along with its level of remediation.
The Commissioner also praised the Igbesa Traditional Council for notifying the state government of the unethical environmental practices of the company, urging other communities, residents and public-spirited individuals to join the state government in enthroning proper environmental governance statewide.
The commissioner also warned other companies operating in the axis that the state will not hesitate at imposing heavy sanctions against any carelessness recorded in the course of their production processes, stressing that they must be sensitive to their immediate environment always.
(leadership.ng)
