By IFEOMA AKA

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed the premises of seven factories in Enugu for allegedly violating environmental regulations.

The Enugu State Coordinator of the agency, Mr Pele Egbagiri, said this in an interview with newsmen on Wednesday after sealing the premises.

Egbagiri listed the factories to include Nalin Paint, Impact Pharmaceutical, Aniuzo International Limited, dealers in palm kernel and vegetable oil, Jutech Construction Company and Mater Purisima, producers of snacks.

Others are Sharon Paints and Veetek Nigeria Limited, dealers in PVC pipes and electrical appliances.

He said the factories were sealed due to audit failure after expiration, adding that the audit should be done every three years.

He expressed concern that the affected facilities failed to renew theirs after series of warnings by the agency.

Egbagiri said the companies also failed to renew their operational permit, which ought to be an annually exercise.

He, however, said the premises would be unsealed once they complied with the regulations.

He said the agency was saddled with the responsibility of enforcing all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards and regulations in Nigeria.

According to him, the agency has embarked on a nationwide enforcement to end the gross negligence and non-adherence to set standards and regulations by some industries and facilities, which activities posed serious threats to the environment.

Egbagiri said the impunity exhibited by the erring facilities must not be allowed to continue.

He said the exercise was ongoing and that “the agency would without warning go ahead to sanction any facility that fell below regulatory standards”.

He urged Nigerians to serve as environmental watchdogs by reporting facilities, which operations were detrimental to the environment.

The NESREA boss said: “We prohibit processes and the use of technology that undermine environmental quality.

“We also enforce compliance with provisions of international agreements and treaties to which Nigeria is signatory.

“Since inception, the agency has carried out numerous projects to enable it meet its mission of inspiring personal and collective responsibilities in building an environment-conscious society for the achievement of sustainable development in the country.”

”It is worthy to note that besides its robust mandate, the agency’s compliance monitoring and enforcement activities were structured and carried out based on the provisions of 33 national environmental regulations.

“Over the years, the agency has reached out to the regulated community through its compliance monitoring and enforcement activities to encourage voluntary compliance and advise them on how best to carry out their operations.

“It is worrisome that despite repeated sensitisation, some of these facilities and industries have refused to comply with the provisions of the environmental regulations.

“In spite the series of notifications of concern letters and abatement notice issued to these industries and facilities to enable them to carry out their operations and activities in an environment-friendly manner, some of them have refused to comply.” (NAN)

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