5 production industries sealed off in Adamawa

By Kissinger Bukhar

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, has sealed up five production industries in Adamawa state for failure to meet environmental safety standards.

The affected companies include AFCOT, Al-Hamsad Rice Mill Kwanan Waya, Bajabure Industrial Company, Shamad Concept Nigeria limited and Gidan Gona along Mohammed Mustafa way while Triacta Construction Company was issued a warning letter to comply or face stiffer sanction.

The enforcement exercise led by the state Coordinator, Mallam Abubakar Aliyu Hamid, had other officials from office of the Director General of NESREA to ensure compliance with the order.

Speaking to journalists at the end of the exercise, the state Coordinator of the agency, Mallam Abubakar Aliyu Hamid explained that the order to seal the facilities followed series of warning and issuance of letters to the affected industries to comply with environmental safety standard, conduct impact assessment as well as check use of fire-wood in industrial quantity in their production.

He noted that none of the sealed facilities has complied with various standards and subsequent warnings which necessitated the state office to enforce the sanction.

According to the coordinator, the affected facilities are expected to approach Yola office of the agency and work on the readiness to ensure compliance as well as meet other requirements which they have been briefed to do in their various letters earlier sent to them.

The official stated that NESREA is an arm of the Federal Ministry of Environment with a mandate to ensure compliance with safety rules and environmental friendliness by the production facilities.

While enforcing the order, owners of private vehicles were allowed to drive out of the premises of the companies while the gates were later locked with chain and padlocks while stickers indicating that the facilities had been officially sealed up.

Mallam Abubakar Aliyu while issuing the warning to Triacta Construction Company said the company is involved in the development process of the present administration in the state but expressed disappointment that the company has not conducted environmental impact assessment while the consultant working with the company for the production of such assessment was not registered with the Federal Ministry of Environment.

He said the exercise is a continuous process and the agency will continue to monitor such development and ensure that the companies operating in the state to comply with rules and regulations of the agency.

The companies were found to have contravened NESREA regulations which include use of fire wood in commercial quantity, lack of impact assessment and compliance to environmental impact assessment.