NESREA Sealed Off Charcoal Company In Nasarawa For Breaching Environmental Standards

By Bukar BOLORI

The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has sealed off a charcoal production and export company, Jui Jui Universal Investment Company, located at Agwada Community in Nasarawa State for falling short of environmental regulations.

A statement on Friday, explaining the rationale behind the closure of the company, stated that: “Following a deluge of complaints by residents of Agwada on the activities of the company, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) carried out an inspection of the facility.

“The compliance monitoring visit revealed that the company was operating without the necessary environmental documents including Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Air Quality Permit, Environmental Audit Report, Waste Management Permit.

“These regulatory requirements are important guides for maintaining standards in all facilities and are perquisites for the establishment of any facility. The EIA particularly guides a facility on how to mitigate any negative impact on the environment caused by operations.

“In view of the obvious irregularities in the operations of the company, the Agency had issued a stop-work order and advised the operators to abate the environmental infractions.

“The company, however, violated the stop work order and carried on with their operations without regards to the environment and human health.

“This necessitated the sealing of the facility by NESREA on Thursday, 21st March 2024 on the directive of the Director General of NESREA Prof. Aliyu Jauro, who frowned at the non-compliance of the facility to the detriment of the people and their environment.”

Jauro however enjoined Nigerians to speak up against any company or individual indulging in activities that portend environmental hazard.