By Yusuf Olatunji
In its continued efforts at shielding its residents from harmful effects of environmental infractions which will impact on their welfare and well-being,the Ogun State government has shut down Food Agro and Allied Industries Limited,Kilometre 40 Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway,Ijako,Sango-Ota for serious environmental infractions and disobeying government order.
In shutting down the malted sorghum producing company,the 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 its untreated waste-water to its immediate environment especially to the newly rehabilitated Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway which tantamount to wilfully destroying public infrastructures as well as exposing residents of the area to untold hardship.
Akintunde also said the company was equally culpable of degrading the environment through oil spillage which are not only harmful but will eventually have negative effect on the ground water of its immediate communities.
"To worsen issues,the company refused all previous entreaties to make corrections on the noted infractions and flagrantly disobey a stop-work order from the state government"
"The government therefore had no other alternative than to close down the company in order to restore environmental sanity in the company and stop it from further degrading its immediate communities"Akintunde added.
He said the company will remain shut until all the identified infractions which have been brought to their attention are corrected and certified by the state government adding that as regulators the government will not shy away from enforcing needed environmental compliance.
While praising many Industries that operate in environmentally friendly atmosphere,he counselled those who are in the habit of committing environmental infractions to turn a new leaf as the state government is not interested in shutting down any of them but in ensuring proper environmental governance within the state.
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