The Ogun State Government has suspended three environmental consultancy firms over professional negligence linked to alleged acid battery pollution in the Ogijo area of the state.
The suspension follows findings from a process audit of closed Used Lead Acid Battery, ULAB, recycling companies in the area.
The affected firms are Vyne Nurt Limited, Core Environmental Services Limited, and Saag Chemicals Nigeria Limited.
The Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, announced the decision during a review meeting held at the Ministry of Environment Conference Room, State Secretariat, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Dr. Oresanya said the firms were found culpable during the audit process.
He explained that pollution abatement devices expected to be installed by the firms were either missing or not installed at all.
The Commissioner said this amounted to clear professional negligence.
He said the state had no option but to suspend the firms from all environmental consultancy services in Ogun State.
According to him, the suspension will remain until the firms are able to clear their names of all complicity allegations.
Dr. Oresanya added that the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Enforcement Agency, NESREA, have been formally notified of the state’s decision.
He said the firms’ operations will remain suspended pending their exoneration.
The federal government has destroyed about 2.5 tonnes of stockpiles of confiscated elephant tusks worth about 9.9 billion naira in Abuja.
The crushing of the elephant tusks was done by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, in collaboration with the Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation.
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Iziaq Salako said the destruction of the seized items was a part of the government’s resolve to protect the environment, conserve wildlife, and combat the illegal trade.
“ln compliance with CITES Resolution Conf. 9.10 (Rev. CoP15) and Conf, 10.7 (Rev. Cop 15) on disposal of seized and confiscated live and dead wildlife specimens, Nigeria has opted for the outright destruction of these stockpiles through pulverization of elephant tusks and ivories, while pangolin scales and other skin products were earlier incinerated on 16th October 2023. The option of outright destruction is aimed at showing the entire world that Nigeria is zero tolerant to illegal wildlife trade at any level and to serve as a deterrent to the illicit wildlife traffickers who use Nigeria as their transit route”.
Dr Salako said the ashes of the crushed tusks would be used to construct a monument in remembrance of the elephants that were killed.
The Director General of NESREA, Professor Aliyu Jauro who said illegal wildlife trade is a serious threat to the nation’s natural heritage and global biodiversity, explained that the destruction of the elephant tusks was a strong warning to wildlife criminals that illegal wildlife trafficking will not be tolerated.
“The destruction of the confiscated ivory is a tangible step towards stamping out wildlife trafficking. We stand united against the illegal trade and our actions today are not only crucial in preserving the majestic elephants for future generations but also in sending a clear message that Nigeria will do whatever it takes to protect our elephants and other endangered wildlife”.
According to the CEO, Elephant Protection Initiative Foundation, EPIF, Mr John Scanlon, “The elephant protection initiative is honoured to stand with the government of Nigeria at today’s ivory crushes. The destruction of confiscated elephant ivory in Abuja will not, in itself, put an end to the trafficking of elephant ivory, it will, however, ensure that no one will ever profit from this contraband. We look forward to continuing our support to Nigeria with stockpile management and other conservation-related issues”.
A total of about 2.5 tonnes of ivory and elephant tusk specimens worth about 9.9 billion naira were destroyed through the support of the Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) African Fund, the US Embassy, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, UNODC, Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS, and Wild African Fund, other development partners and the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Environmental Law experts have called for the enforcement of Climate Change Act in Nigerians as a major step in showing serious commitment to confronting the challenge of global warming and other consequences of Climate Change.
Speaking at an environmental forum held in a private institution in Ede, Osun State, the experts observed that at the moment, there was no statutory instrument that directly and specifically address the global menace.
An Environmental Lawyer and Senior Lecturer at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Dr Ngozi Ole-Agwu said it was imperative to have a single act that would have an overarching effect on the climate, rather than one that is talking about the environment generally.
Dr Ole-Agwu emphasized that since Nigeria accepted the 2015 Paris Pact, which is the latest international convention on checking climate change, it was important for the nation to implement its provisions faithfully to achieve the target of reducing greenhouse emissions by the year 2030.
She said all Nigerians in one way or the other contributed to the problem of global warming, hence, the solution of reducing the global temperature to two-degree celsius rested with the people, but required adequate enlightenment to encourage actions in the interest of a safe environment.
The senior lecturer who is also a research leader in Environment and Water at the African Center for Excellence also charged mobile communications service providers in Nigeria that they were morally and legally bound to support actions in fighting climate change as a part of their corporate social responsibility.
“They have a role to play, because, one, from moral point of view they are contributing, and when you look at it from the legal point of view, every company has a social responsibility. If you’re focusing your own on environmental objectives, that won’t be out of place. It is easier for them to play that role than some other bodies.” For example, in a country like Kenya, those who are at the forefront of the fight against climate change are the telecommunications companies. The government partners with them and they also partner electricity companies and they sell clean electricity appliances and devices to citizens at affordable rates”.
In a paper presentation on Climate Action in Post COVID-19 Era, Dr Ole-Agwu drew the nexus between the climate change and COVID-19 where she noted that the period of COVID lockdown was a value added to the environment as about 25 percent reduction in greenhouse emission was recorded in China alone.
She however noted that efforts to tame the noble virus also impacted negatively on Climate Change Action as the agreed 100 trillion dollars projected for climate had to be inevitably diverted to resolve COVID-19 issue.
Similarly, another environmental Lawyer, Mr. Kingsley Onu noted that despite the much talk about the climate change issue in Nigeria, there was no legal framework that dealt with climate change except the available legislation, hence there is a need for comprehensive legislation that deals expressly and directly focus on climate change.
Environmental Lawyer, Mr. Kingsley Onu
Mr Onu emphasized that such legal framework must not just be targeted at climate change but must mainstream human rights, so that in the course of mitigating the effect of climate change, the rights of citizens would not be infringed upon.
The Environmental Lawyer who is also a Law teacher at the University argued that the only agency established by law to oversee environmental issues in Nigeria, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, was not sufficiently empowered to do so.
“The NESREA Act by virtue of section 7 empowers NESREA as an agency to implement international protocols and conventions that Nigeria has accented to. NESREA has power to enforce international framework on Climate change, but the problem is before you can implement an international framework here in Nigeria, you must comply with section 12 of the constitution which provides for domestication of such laws. So the power of NESREA in section 7 is conflicting with the constitution in section 12, which means such power cannot activated until it is domesticated”.
National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA has advocated the need for the conservation of biodiversity to sustain the environment for human benefit.
The state coordinator of the agency in Oyo State, Mr Toyin Obagiri made the call while speaking with Radio Nigeria on the occasion of world environment day.
Mr Toyin Obagiri, who hinted that in Nigeria bio-diversity conservation and management had been facing a lot of challenges ranging from bush burning, land clearing, over grazing and other environmental pollution said the agency had over time made steps to protect the environment for optimal efficiency.
The NESSREA state coordinator, Mr Obagiri maintained that it was essential for all to show positive attitude to the environment and prioritize the need to sustain it
He added that the environment was an asset of every country hence, it should be treated well.
World Environment Day is celebrated on 5th of June every year.
It is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment
