Pollution: Ogun shuts another company over environmental infractions

*Ola Oresanya, Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, discloses Supreme Agro Limited, an agro-processing company, in Igbesa, will remain shut until it restores the operating environment to normal, and become responsible in the production processes while carrying along the host community with its level of remediation

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As part of its continued efforts at enthroning proper environmental governance in the ‘Gateway State’, the Ogun State Government (OGSG) of Nigeria has sealed off Supreme Agro Limited, an agro-processing company,  in Igbesa, Ado Odo Local Government Area, for serious industrial pollution, that has destroyed the ecosystem of their host community.

Ola Oresanya, Honourable Commissioner for Environment, disclosed the Ogun State Environmental Task Force, had ordered the closure of the company after several complaints from the Igbesa Community and subsequent verification and warnings.

Damage to the environment by the company’s production waste water

Oresanya said despite the company’s earlier denial, the factory was found guilty of industrial pollution as it continues to discharge its untreated waste water into the community, a situation which the authorities stated had greatly affected the well-being of residents of the area.

The Commissioner for Environment noted that rather than installing effluent plants that would contain the waste water and remove the hazardous components and restore it to a safe level before discharging them to surrounding water bodies, Supreme Agro Limited by-passed the plant and discharged the waste water directly into the community.

The waste water has not only constituted an eyesore, but also impacted negatively on the environment.

“This is a very selfish and callous behavior on the part of the company because these waste water 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 behavior which will impact on the well-being on the residents of their host community,” Oresanya   submitted.

The Commissioner, therefore, said that the company would remain shut until it restores the environment to normal, and be more responsible in their production processes and carry their host community along with their level of remediation.

He, however, commended the Igbesa Traditional Council for notifying the Ogun State Government of the unethical environmental practices of the company.

Oresanya also urged other councils, communities, residents and public-spirited individuals to join the state government in enthroning proper environmental governance statewide.

The Commissioner further took the opportunity to warn other companies operating in the state that while the government would continue to provide enabling environment for them to operate as the industrial capital of the country.

However, the state government would not tolerate any carelessness in their production processes, stated he.

Oresanya as well asserted that companies must be straightforward and do the right things all the times as the state government would always reward companies that operate in accordance with global environmental best practices.