FG seals Chinese construction company over non-compliance to environmental laws

The Federal Government through the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NASREA) has sealed the Ekiti state office of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation(CCECC) over non-compliance to environmental laws. The company’s office which is located along the new Ado-Iyin road was sealed on Wednesday morning by officials of the agency from both Abuja and the state office. The agency’s enforcement officer, Mr Gbenga Kolawole lamented that the construction company had failed since coming into the state to comply with the laid down rules and guidelines as it relates to the environment, which he said could be detrimental to the health of the residents. Kolawole who was also accompanied by the state coordinator, Mrs Abosede Toroni explained that the agency was determined to ensure the safety and welfare of residents and the coming generation, hence the need for the construction company to do the needful, especially getting the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document. He added that all correspondences and efforts by the agency to make the company comply with the rules in the last two years have been frustrated, revealing that the seal would only be removed after necessary documents are presented. Kolawole said, ” The basic reason for the sealing of the facility is the non-compliance with extant environmental laws and regulations in the land. For the last two years, the facility has been in the construction of roads in the state and the law demands that when you are into that kind of project, you need to conduct what is called Environmental Impact Assessment, even before the commencement of the project. “The EIA conducted is to check and detect how that project can impact on the environment negatively and even in the course of conducting that assessment, those negative impact will be mitigated so that it will not be severe on the environment. “The construction company has refused to do this since 2018 and the agency has warned them, written letters but they kept dribbling the government and when we got there today (Wednesday), they could not provide any documentation of payment or letter of approval from the federal ministry of environment. “For us to unseal this facility, they have to produce those documents to the government because they are being paid for the services they are rendering to the government.” However, the Public Relations Officer of the construction company in the state, Mr Ola Ajayi noted the company has paid necessary fees through the consultant engaged by the state government, saying, ” the consultants told us that the documents will always be presented to the government who contracted them and not us.” (Nigerian Tribune)