The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has threatened to seal any company found to be flouting environmental laws and regulations in the country.
Director-General of the agency, Dr Lawrence Anukam, gave the warning in Abuja on Wednesday in an interview in Abuja.
He said the agency doesn’t just seal any firm but stated that there is a due process because we don’t want to stifle the economic development of any organisation.
While noting that “The agency doesn’t just seal firms; that should be our last resort,” he explained that “We follow the due process, we give them first compliance, second compliance and third compliance before we come to that level of sealing such firm.
“It is always the last resort and our plea to regulated community as much as possible; don’t let it come to sealing stage before you do the right thing.
“They should simply follow the rules, if your neighbouring company is complying with the environmental laws and you are not complying, it will affect negatively the other that is complying as well.
“So everybody must comply and if you don’t comply after series of warnings, the government has no choice than to seal up such organisation.
Anukam said the agency had training programme with the Nigeria Police on environmental matters, adding that the training would improve the nation’s sanitary conditions.
