By Nwamaka Ejiofor,Tokunbo2

Copyright thesun

From Idu Jude, Abuja

The Director General of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof Innocent Barikor, has enforced the closure of erring facilities in Ogijo, a community in Ogun State, as the Agency sealed nine recycling facilities for environmental pollution.

The agency, in a press statement on Thursday, September 18, signed by Nwamaka Ejiofor, indicated that the ongoing enforcement exercise in the South West Zone of the country also affected the sealing of 20 other facilities in Ekiti, Osun, and Ogun States.

According to Prof Barikor, the enforcement exercise is in line with the mandate of NESREA, which gives the Agency the responsibility of prohibiting activities and processes that undermine environmental quality.

He noted that it had become expedient to take drastic action against non-compliant recyclers in the Ogijo community in Ogun State, as their operations have continued to endanger the environment and lives of citizens.
“The situation in Ogijo has been of concern due to the harmful activities of battery and scrap metal recyclers. Improper disposal of hazardous slag from battery recycling threatens environmental degradation and public health risks from toxic lead content. Tests have revealed the presence of lead in residents, resulting in illnesses and deaths.”
Prof Barikor further highlighted that the failure of the facilities to adopt the best available technology in their operations was in contravention of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024.
“There have been several stakeholder interventions which involved Federal and State Ministries of Environment, NESREA, State Environmental Protection Agencies, Non-Governmental Organisations, and development partners in a bid to get the facilities to upgrade their operations to more environmentally friendly technology and institute a sustainable plan for the management of slag and other waste from their processes, but a recent tour of the community revealed total disregard for the environmental laws of the land, a clear signal that some of these facilities do not have any intention of complying, and their continued operation is a big threat to the health of residents and the environment in which they live.”
He stressed that the sealing of the facilities was therefore to protect the lives of vulnerable citizens and put a stop to the operations of the recycling facilities that undermine the law and expose Nigerians to danger.
“These facilities were closed for violating the provisions of the National Environmental (Battery Control) Regulations 2024. Their offences include lack of Environmental Documents such as Environmental Audit Report (EAR), Environmental Impact Statement, Permits; lack of fume treatment plant; indiscriminate discharge of black oil; failure to carry out blood-lead tests on staff; no proper slag management, manual battery breaking and washing, and non-compliance with the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme.”
The facilities sealed in Ogijo, Ogun State, include:
Vedanta Metal Industries Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State
iMetal Manufacturing Nigeria Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State
African Non-Ferrous Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State
True Metals Nigeria Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State
BPL Nigeria Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Hanushi Manufacturing Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
Pristine Elt Pvt Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State
Timto Alu Company Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State
Ecomade Industries Limited, Ogijo, Ogun State

The enforcement was also carried out in the construction and quarry sectors, where a total of 10 sites were sealed for lack of Environmental Documents, contrary to the provisions of the National Environmental (Construction Sector) Regulations 2011 and the National Environmental (Quarrying and Blasting Operations) Regulations 2013. These companies are:
Lateral Ultimate Limited (Arc Legacy Project), Ota, Ogun State
Visible Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State
Strabic Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State
Areatech Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State
Medaville Construction Limited, Ota, Ogun State
Adron Home & Properties operational base office (Gbongan Road, Oshogbo) for three project sites, namely:
Paris Park Garden, Ikirun Road, Iragbiji: EAR
Buckingham Parks and Garden, Poponla, Ede: EAR
Miami City, Ilesha Road: EIS
S & M Nigeria Ltd, Ekiti State: EIS
Step Development Ltd, Ekiti State: EIS
Hitech Construction Limited, Papalanto, Ogun State: EIA
Craneburg Construction Company Limited, Ota, Ogun State: EIA
SLAVABOGU Nigeria Limited, Awo-Iyowe Road, Egbedore LGA, Osun State

In the Domestic and Industrial Plastic sector, five facilities were shut down for operating in flagrant disregard of the National Environmental (Domestic and Industrial Plastic, Rubber and Foam Sector) Regulations 2011. They operated without Environmental Documents, lacked fume abatement technology, and failed to submit the Quarterly Compliance Monitoring Report. These include:
Polo Good Intl Company Ltd, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State
Meibalun International Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State
Jomoo International Industrial Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State
Zhong Ju Nigeria Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State
Vanke Machinery Limited, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State

One facility, GS Agriculture Limited, Osogbo, Osun State, was sealed for violating the National Environmental (Food, Beverages and Tobacco) Regulations 2009. The facility was faulted for not having the necessary Environmental Documents.

In the Non-Metallic Mineral Manufacturing sector, one facility, West Stone and Marble Processing Company Limited, Ikirun, Osun State, was sealed for non-submission of the Environmental Audit Report (EAR).

For refusal to comply with the National Environmental (Motor Vehicle and Miscellaneous Assembly) Regulations 2011, one facility, Icheetah Nigeria Limited, Abeokuta, was shut down.

Enforcement of the National Environmental (Protection of Endangered Species in International Trade) Regulations 2011 led to the sealing of one facility, Solomon Kensington Agro Allied, Iperu-Remo, Ogun State. The operators failed to provide relevant Environmental Documents, install an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and refused to provide the Agency with a comprehensive list of animal species being kept.