For allegedly failing to abide by the state’s environmental laws, the Oyo State government has penalised 12 facilities
According to government, six facilities were sealed up, while remediation measures and community social responsibility were imposed on others.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Chief Isaac Ishola, spoke at an inter-ministerial media briefing at the Film Theatre of the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism at the Agodi secretariat in Ibadan, the state capital.
He said the affected facilities were found culpable among the over 200 companies monitored since the beginning of the year.
Apart from the facilities, Ishola said as many as 400 street-trading offenders, 250 improper waste disposal offenders, two poultry farms, four illegal rearing of domestic animals, one piggery farm and Temidire Plank Market were arraigned in court and or closed down.
According to him, all industrial facilities in the state are being constantly inspected to monitor and control the impacts of their activities on the environment.
Some of the activities that are being monitored, the commissioner said, include the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for new industrial facilities, environmental audit reports for existing ones, inspection of air emissions and effluent discharges, among others.
On other activities the ministry performed under his watch, Ishola said it had a robust programme for climate change wherein causative agents, such as carbon and other gaseous emissions, were monitored and controlled.
He said the state engaged the services of three consultants to carry out emission tests on vehicles, motorcycles and generators.
He said: “One of the environmental issues is air and noise pollution emanating from religious and commercial houses to the detriment of public health. This ministry has been enforcing the provisions of the law, which had been proceeded with stakeholders’ engagement in a series of meeting demanding full compliance.
“As of now, while we have on records significant level of understanding and compliance, several stakeholders are yet to comply. This led to the sealing up of three churches for flagrant contravention of the law.
“It should also be noted that in our enforcement activities, as many as 400 street trading offenders, 250 improper waste disposal offenders, two poultry farms, four illegal rearing of domestic animals, one piggery farm and Temidire plank market were sanctioned through arraignment in the court and outright closure.”
