NESREA threatens to seal organisations that flouted environmental laws
NAN-AE-9
Law
By Vivian Emoni
Abuja, Nov. 9, 2016 (NAN) The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has threatened to seal any organisation that flouted environmental laws and regulations in the country.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Lawrence Anukam, gave the warning in Abuja on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Anukam said the agency doesn’t just seal any firm but stated that there is a due process because we don’t want to stifle the economic development of any organisation.
“The agency doesn’t just seal firms; that should be our last resort.
“We follow the due process, we give them first compliance, second compliance and third compliance before we come to that level of sealing such firm.
“It is always the last resort and our plea to regulated community as much as possible; don’t let it come to sealing stage before you do the right thing.
“They should simply follow the rules, if your neighbouring company is complying with the environmental laws and you are not complying, it will affect negatively the other that is complying as well.
“So everybody must comply and if you don’t comply after series of warnings, the government has no choice than to seal up such organisation.
“Nobody is above the law irrespective of your position, “ he said.
Anukam said that the agency had training programme with the Nigeria Police on environmental matters, adding that the training would improve the nation`s sanitary conditions.
He said that the agency had also developed curricula on different cadres of police to facilitate the training programme.
The director-general explained that the training would engage the police on environmental compliance, monitoring and enforcement activities towards addressing environmental crimes.
He said that the agency had also embarked on the training of the government`s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Anukam added that the training would not affect all the MDAs but those MDAs whose mandates were on enforcement.
He called on organisations to comply with the environmental laws and regulations for a healthier and cleaner environment. (NAN)
VOE/MOL/AFA
Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Felix Ajide
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