ABEOKUTA – In a significant enforcement action, the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA) has sealed four industries for failing to install an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) at their facilities.
The operation, which is part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to protect the state’s environment, was carried out along the Abeokuta-Sagamu and Lagos-Ibadan expressways.
Announcing the development, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Chairman of the State’s Task Force on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Hon. Farouk Akintunde, explained the critical role of an ETP. He described it as a facility designed to treat and purify industrial wastewater before it is discharged into the environment.
“The Industries affected were New Era Packaging Limited, Nifong Material Company Limited, Xinfeng Renewable Resources Limited, and Prorich Products Nigeria Limited,” Akintunde stated while briefing journalists after the enforcement exercise.
He emphasized that industries are legally required to have ETPs to manage the wastewater generated from their operations, warning that untreated effluent poses a severe health risk.
“Untreated waste water can harm humans and aquatic life, contaminate water sources, and damage the ecosystem,” Akintunde said. “ETPs help remove pollutants and toxins, ensuring a safer environment for everyone.”
The OGEPA boss further revealed that the sealed industries were not only culpable for the absence of treatment plants but had also flouted other environmental regulations.
“These companies also committed other offences, which included violation of a stop-work order and air pollution,” he added.
The enforcement action signals the state government’s resolve to clamp down on industrial entities disregarding environmental safety laws.
