The Warri, Uvwie and Environs Special Area Development Agency, (WUEDA), has continued its surprise inspection visits to residential and public premises, as well as facilities in Effurun to ascertain the level of compliance with environmental laws.
The Agency’s Task Force on Environment, and a Mobil Court, paid an unscheduled visit to the abattoir at Police Officers Wives Association, POWA Shopping Mall near the DSC roundabout, Effurun, apprehending and prosecuting those who ran foul of the law.
The WUEDA officials discovered that the abattoir did not have a medical certificate of fitness, no septic tank and waste bin, and was operating in an illegal and unhygienic environment, all of which were serious environmenta offences, so the operators were charged to the Mobile Court.
The Chairman of the abattoir, Mr. Ochuko Alamudo, consented to the offences and pleaded for leniency, blaming the rains for the current sorry state of the slaughter house, while promising to do the needful within the next two weeks.
The Task Force also visited the POWA shopping mall where a huge illegal dump site was found behind the market, while there was no evidence of its registration with any Private Sector Participant (PSP).
The WUEDA Task Force also inspected the abattoir at Osubi junction where it was observed that it was not registered with the PSP, and there were no toilet facilities for workers, no medical certificate of fitness, no waste bin, no functional borehole, and the abattoir was generally unhealthy, prompting the operators of the abattoir to be charged to the Mobile Court.
A butcher at the Osubi abattoir, Chief John Ishiel explained that the facility had two sections, one at Osubi and the other on PTI road, blaming the prevailing economic situation in Nigeria for their failure to provide the necessities they were charged for.
According to him, “the cost of a cow had tripled and the business was no longer what it used to be, so there was no money to provide the things enumerated by the Task Force within the short time frame given to them.
He said: “We will comply and do the needful but we are also pleading that Govt should come to our aid”.
An illegal dump site along Osubi road was also visited where a Court Order was granted the Agency to serve the residents a seven-day abatement notice to produce an evidence of approval by government or face Court sanctions.
Another site visited by the Task Force was an illegal dump site in front of a canal along Okuokoko road which was barricaded by the Task Force, and shop owners around were seriously warned to stop indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the area.
They were asked to apprehend anyone seen dumping refuse there, and then notify the Agency for appropriate actions.
Commenting on their findings, the WUEDA Task Force Lead, Elder Isaac Itobi said the Agency’s Director General, Hon. Prince Godwin Ejinyere, and the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori had zero tolerance for filthy environment because it posed a huge threat to human health.
Elder Itobi who is a member of WUEDA’s Board of Directors, said diseases could be contracted from unclean environments which explained why the Director General of the Agency had been sensitizing the public through grassroot communication and mass media advocacy urging all to clean up their surroundings.
The inspection visit of the WUEDA Task Force continues as many environmental laws are daily being breached by residents of WUEDA’s mandate areas, a development that runs counter to the MORE Agenda of Governor Sheriff F.O. Oborevwori.
CREDIT: Media Dept; WUEDA
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