The Ogun State government has sealed five Chinese companies and arrested some of its officials for allegedly assaulting and inflicting bodily harm on enforcement officials while performing their official assignment.
The companies which operate in the Ogere axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway are DL Plastics Limited, Dyschenghan Plastics, SH Agricultural Limited, Beautiful Fibre Limited and Jincaicai Nigeria Limited.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, OGWAMA, Abayomi Hunye on Thursday, said they were initially sealed for committing serious environmental infractions like improper waste disposal, waste burning and refusal to patronize government-recognized waste collectors.
Hunye stated that these infractions were not only carried out within their premises but also in their immediate environment and the state at large.
He lamented that despite several letters and warnings the companies refused to comply, and were sealed last week.
The OGWAMA boss noted that the companies not only remove government seal-order, but they broke government chains used to lock them.
According to him, state officials in company of law enforcement officers went back to the companies to enforce the seal-up order, but on getting there, the five companies mobilized, assaulted and inflicted bodily harm on the officers and officials from OGWAMA.
“We have been on this case for the past six months. We have sent letters to them and invited them to let them know what they have done, but they refused to honor our invitation. Aside from these letters, our officials have visited them severally but they refused to allow them in.
“After all these efforts proved abortive, we pasted notices of intention to seal them on the their premises especially on their main and entrance gates in the past three months hoping that that will trigger them to honor our invitation.
“They still refused to come forward, so last week Thursday our officials sealed them by locking their entrance gates. But to our surprise, they did not only remove government seal-order, but they broke government chains used to lock them.
“To enforce the earlier seal-up order, state officials in company of law enforcement officers went to their industries hours ago. However they were met with mob attack by their workers who assaulted and inflicted bodily harm on law enforcement officers and state government officials, who were all rushed to the hospital, thereby not only preventing them from carrying out their lawful duties but with the intent of to harming them,” he said.
Hunye decried the action of the five companies saying they not only constituted themselves to environmental nuisance, but assaulted government officials without considering the grave implications.
He cautioned that the state government will not stand by and let a small number of recalcitrant Chinese businesses and their employees engage in such heinous behaviour under the guise of investing in the state, warning that any of them caught in such act will be prosecuted under the laws of the land.
