Daily Independent Online.
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Monday, July 26, 2004.
LASEPA threatens to shut down textile company
By Dada Jackson
Senior Property and Environment Correspondent, lagos.
The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency
(LASEPA) is poised to shut down a textile company, says the general manager of
the agency.
The General Manager, Mr Debisi Adesina, in an exclusive interview with Daily
Independent in his
office at Alausa, said that the decision to seal the factory became imperative,
due to the non-compliance of the company in improving the treatment of its effluent discharge.
According to the helmsman of LASEPA, the company,
UNTIL, formerly Nichemtex, had not improved on the treatment of its ETP since
his last visit to the company about two weeks ago, adding that this development
was worrisome and should not be condoned by an serious organization.
He said that on assumption of office about five
months ago, the first company he visited was UNTIL. He noted that during his
maiden visit to the company, he directed the management of the company to
improve its ETP, explaining that at the said meeting, the top management staff
assured him of their readiness to remedy the situation but regrettably, the
situation still persisted even till now.
He wondered why any company would want to frustrate
the efforts of government in keeping the environment clean and safe for the
people, adding that there was the need for all companies operating in the state
to adhere to laid down stipulation in respect of the environment. He saidthat
residents of Ibeshe town where the company is located, are still complaining of
the nuisance the untreated effluent being discharged from the company is still
constituting to the environment.
He warned the management of the company to comply
with the stipulated environmental laws guiding the operations of any company
that wants to do business in the state, noting that any company that was not
ready to abide by its regulations was free to look elsewhere.
Adesina said that the mandate given to him by the
governor was that he should ensure that companies doing business in the state
must be ready to comply with laid down regulation as stipulated by the agency.
He noted that the need for this compliance cannot be overemphasised.
He said that no company would be spared in the effort
by LASEPA in achieving this objective. According to him, ‘‘ no company, no matter
how highly placed, would be regarded as a sacred cow’’. Adesina
added that it would no longer be business as usual because this time around,
‘‘the state governor is determined to make the environment a safe
place for Lagosians.’’
He regretted the way the people were treating the
environment. According to him, the task of keeping the environment safe and
clean for the residents of the state is very challenging. He said it was his
responsibility to achieve this goal.
He said , the company would face the full wrath of
the agency, if it fails to comply with stipulated environmental guidelines,
noting, that when one of the defaulting textile companies is closed down,
others who think that the agency was not serious about redefining the
environment, would sit up.
The general manager further said that LASEPA was more
than before, ready to address the burning issue of the environment with all the
zeal required by such a body in its quest to safe-guarding the environment for
the people of the state.
He decried a situation where the environment had been
completely degraded, adding that now was the time to attack the issue of the
environment with much vigor and vitality.
Adesina said that he would be willing to fully
address the issue of the environment with enthusiasm during the remaining
tenure of the present administration, in line with the mandate given to him by
the Governor.
He said that the belief in some quarters that the
government cannot adequately address the issue of the environment, was not only
erroneous but ridiculous. He
explained that this time around, the agency would carry out the
governor’s directive to the letter without leaving any stone unturned no
matter whose ox is gored.
