By Ayorinde Taiwo (SIWES student, Gate Way Polytechnic Saapade)
The Ogun State Government announced on Sunday the closure of Maths Metal Recycling Limited, located in the Sagamu area of Ogun State, due to intentional industrial pollution that posed a threat to local residents.
According to Ola Oresanya, the State Commissioner for Environment, the company had received multiple warnings about contaminating the environment with harmful oils, but they failed to take corrective action.
Reports indicate that the recycling company illegally released waste into the environment by puncturing a passage at the rear of its premises, instead of installing proper retention tanks for the treatment of oils and solvents.
Oresanya emphasized that the company’s actions not only caused pollution but also constituted a criminal offense under Ogun State’s Environmental Sanitation Laws. This pollution has had a detrimental impact on the community’s residents, including the contamination of their underground water.
The state government will conduct a thorough assessment to determine the extent of the damage to the community’s well-being, and the recycling company will be held financially responsible for the cleanup. Additional punitive measures may also be considered as a deterrent.
Furthermore, the government plans to blacklist any consultants who collaborated with the company in committing these environmental violations and will report them to federal authorities for potential nationwide sanctions.
Oresanya issued a stern warning to other industries and environmental violators, emphasizing that the state government is committed to protecting its residents, especially the vulnerable, from environmental hazards. Business as usual will no longer be tolerated in the state.
