The City Reporters
Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, has shown zero tolerance for environmental pollution.
The Lagos State Government has arrested four persons for assaulting officials who were enforcing the closure of structures the state had deemed dangerous to the environment.
The sealed structures included a bank located in Dopemu area of the state, Morning Star brothel in Iyana-Ipaja, a structure along 142 and 144 Egbeda-Idimu Road, and another at 11 Church close, Iyana-Ipaja, The Vanguard reported on Thursday.
The structures were sealed for alleged discharge of human faeces into adjoining drainage channel.
Officials of the Zero Tolerance Department of the State Ministry of the Environment carried out the enforcement said the bank (name withheld), where staff and visitors vehicles were allegedly being parked on the walkways, was shut for constituting a public nuisance, a contravention of Section 8 (2) Cap. 25 Vol. 6 Lagos State Law of 2003; and section 93 (3) of the National Environmental Health Service Regulation 2007.”
The bank was, however, later re-opened after its owners assured a magistrate court they would comply with environmental law.
Four other shops were also sealed because their owners habitually displayed their wares on the drainage and emptied their waste into the drainage, state officials said.
Those who broke the seal on the structures and assaulted government officials who came to enforce the closure were arrested.
“The occupants and owners of the structure discharge their liquid waste into the drainage and some have damaged soak away which has led to pollution of the water on the street,” Head of the Zero Tolerance for Alimosho Local Government, Mr. Fatai Lawal, said.
“We have five houses that we have served series of notice over their poor sanitation issues. We served them abatement notice but they did not comply.
“After several days, the state government applied for court summons. After receiving it, the owners and the occupants of the structures were served. And rather than comply, they continued with their poor sanitation act.
“We applied for sealing order from the court. And it was granted by the court.
“For them to have their houses re-opened, they will have to appear before the court before their property could be opened. They do not need to pay money to anyone. All they need to do is to appear before the court. The court will decide the appropriate action to take.”
