Ogun shuts two Chinese companies over environmental violation

Due to suspected violations of environmental rules, two Chinese enterprises have been shut down by the Ogun State Waste Management Authority. 

The Authority stated in a statement issued on Sunday that it had to take the measure since the companies had ignored multiple warnings. 

According to the authorities, the businesses declined to hire licensed garbage collectors to handle their waste in an appropriate manner. 

The businesses include Ronchang Industrial Park, which is situated across Julius Berger yard on the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway, and Yibao Industrial Limited, which is situated in Bara Village along the Sagamu-Abeokuta Motorway.

Abayomi Hunye, the Managing Director of the Authority, oversaw an enforcement squad that sealed the businesses. He said that the Chinese businesses were violating Section 17 of the Ogun State Waste Management Law 2020 by leaving trash all over their property. 

He claims that the two businesses were also found guilty of violating Section 17 of the Ogun State rubbish Management Authority Law of 2020 by hiring unlicensed rubbish collectors to remove their waste.

"The essence of shutting them down is to ensure that they comply with the standard methods of managing waste in the state.

“We have served them several notices and warnings, and they refused to comply. We have even visited their premises on multiple occasions to counsel them to clean their environment and engage government-approved waste collectors, but they were unyielding.

"They both employed unaccredited waste collectors who cannot manage their waste. That is why their premises are dirty, thereby exposing residents of the state to unnecessary odour and possible underground water infections from their untreated waste.

“So, we have no alternative but to shut them down in the overriding public interest, as their behaviour and actions display gross disrespect for constituted authority, especially from companies owned by foreigners intent on damaging our environment,” he said.

Source