Ondo State Environmental Protection Agency , O’SEPA has issued a notice of fourteen and three days to the operators of used cartoons and plastic waste site and Toplad meat and Abattoir at Lafe and Olukayode Oshinle area of Akure metropolis respectively in order to abate their premises of environmental nuisance arising from their activities or risk being sealed up at their expirations.
The exercise was in line with the Agency’s Law, 1993, that empowers the Agency to protect preserve and conserve the environment for sustainable development.
The Administrative Secretary of the Environmental watchdog, Princess Korede Giwa gave the ultimatum during a monitoring exercise carried out by the Agency Enforcement Team around Akure metropolis.
Princess Giwa who led the Enforcement Team of the Agency made up of Management Staff said the exercise became necessary due to series of complaints from their neighbors that they were causing environmental nuisance with their operations especially pollution.
She frowned at the audacity of the two operators doing businesses as usual in unhygienic environment despite being served abatement notices that have already lapsed because the environmental nuisance they were causing could lead to cholera pandemic and a breeding place for rodents causing Lassa Fever in the state.
At the premises being used Cartoon and Plastic Waste dump and Recycling which was the team first place of call at Lafe, the situation was really an eyesore because of the level of nuisance values activities they had on the environment especially health of people living in the area.
The Agency immediately ordered the owner, Mr Joseph Osabiyi to relocate his business from the built environment to a new site far out of the town within fourteen days.
Although, the operator of the Carton and Plastic Waste site who claimed he is the Public Relations Officer of Association Cartoon and Waste Recycling Dealers of Nigeria Ondo State Branch, Mr Osabiyi made spirited efforts to appeale to the Agency to extend the ultimatum given to him to evacuate the premises but the Agency insisted that he must do the needful within the stipulated time
Mt Osabiyi attributed the problem the business was having to epileptic power supply, incessant breaking down of the engine being used for cracking and compressing the plastics couple with failure of haulage vehicles that usually transport the the plastics to warehouses in Lagos to at and when due because of the rising cost of diesel fuel
Responding, the Administrative Secretary of the O’SEPA who rejected the appeal said ordinarily the Agency came out to seal up the place because the operator have failed to do the needful by obeying the initial abatement notice and several warnings.
At the Toplad Meet Shop and Abattoir Olukoyode Oshinle area, the leader of the team Princess Korede Giwa expressed disappointment on the failure of the operator of the venture to clean up the operating environment considering the delicate nature of the work being carried out after several warnings.
Consequently, the Administrative Secretary who promised to come back to inspect the facility gave the operator till Saturday to do the needful failure after which the place will be sealed up by the Enforcement Team.
On the Enforcement Team apart from Administrative Secretary Princess Korede Giwa were Director of Pollution, Oladipo Obanoyen, Director of Administration and Finance Mrs Ayomide Adejoke and Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Prince Bolu Diesel AJIJO.
Prince Bolu Diesel AJIJO
D(P&A)