Posted by OLASUNKANMI AKONI & BOLA OWOLABI on
FOLLOWING the gas explosion that occurred in Agege area of Lagos State last year, the state government has banned two smelting factories from operating in any part of the state.
FOLLOWING the gas explosion that occurred in Agege area of Lagos State last year, the state government has banned two smelting factories from operating in any part of the state.
It also disclosed plans to review the existing state Environmental Protection Laws, aimed at making the law more effective and pungent in curbing the menace of environmental hazards in the state .
The state commissioner for environment, Mr. Tunji Bello disclosed these while addressing the media on the outcome of findings and recommendations of a seven-man panel set up to look into the incident in which a total number of 185 persons, including school children were said to have suffered acute respiratory disorder in the process.
It would be recalled that on February 10, 2004, an explosion erupted from a factory involved in aluminium smelting close to Williams Estate, Orile-Agege local government, during which a number of people, especially school children suffered acute respiratory disorder as a result of emission of obnoxious gases.
Consequently, the state government through the ministry of the environment set up a panel of inquiry into the incident under the chairmanship of Dr. Titi Anibaba, Director Environmental Services, with terms of reference.
The commissioner stated that the decision to ban the factories from operating in the state was sequel to findings and recommendations of the panel which identified as the remote cause of the explosion, adding that a white paper had also been made. Bello added that the owners of the factories had been made to offset the victim's hospital bills amounting to the sum of N490,205.
Among other recommendations included that the state government should come up with stiffer penalty for defaulting individuals/groups on the rules and regulations guiding the siting and operations of factories/industries in the state.
He also announced that henceforth, the state government would not tolerate the siting of industries in residential areas, irrespective of the size or purpose, without meeting set standards of the state relevant agencies.
Bello, however, revealed that a directive would soon be issued to relevant government ministries and agencies such as the ministry of commence and industry and councils, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), to carry out immediate inventory of all cottage industries and commercial premises in all the 57 local government areas of the state in order to effectively monitor regulation.