The Ogun State Government has sealed Carry Heavy Industry Limited (CHIL), an automobile assembly plant producing heavy-duty and passenger vehicles, for burning waste products in violation of environmental laws.
The plant, located in Moloko-Asipa near Abeokuta, was shut down by the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) for contravening Section 2b(a) of the OGWAMA law, which prohibits the burning of waste by individuals or industries.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Waste Management and OGWAMA Managing Director, Farouk Akintunde, announced the action on Sunday. He said the agency had issued several warnings to the company’s management to patronise government-approved Private Sector Participants (PSP) for waste disposal instead of burning it.
“By burning their waste, the company caused air pollution through toxic emissions and health risks not only to their workers but to their vulnerable neighbours,” Akintunde stated.
He stressed that the shutdown aligns with the state government’s priority on residents’ wellbeing.
“The company will remain shut until they comply with the state’s extant laws which forbid burning of waste and register with Waste PSP for legal and proper disposal of their waste or in the alternative face strict legal sanctions,” Akintunde warned.
In a related development, OGWAMA also sanctioned Camellin Industry Limited along the Sagamu Interchange on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for the same offence of waste burning. The management of the firm has been invited for further action.
The enforcement demonstrates Ogun State’s resolve to tackle environmental pollution and ensure industries adhere to sustainable waste management practices.
