The new General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), Hon. Kehinde Bello, has personally conducted visits to six Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling plants ahead of a mandatory 72-hour shutdown order.
The shutdown order, issued on Monday, November 24, affects a total of nine facilities. It is designed to allow the agency to conduct a comprehensive health and process audit. The audit aims to scrutinize battery production processes and ensure the health of workers and nearby communities is not jeopardized by lead acid exposure.
Hon. Bello led a team to inspect facilities in the Ogijo and Lagos-Ibadan expressway areas, including African Non Ferrous Industry Limited, Vendanta Metal Industries Limited, and BPL Limited, among others.
During the visits, the GM inspected key sections like the battery washing areas and emphasized the need to minimize human contact with lead acid.
“The mandate of OGEPA is to ensure a safe and healthy environment that is free from pollution, this we will ensure,” Bello stated to newsmen.
In a related development, the enforcement team sealed a BS Factory in Ogijo for operating without government approval.
