Agency To Sanction Violators Of Environmental Laws

 National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) has embarked on a fresh round of compliance monitoring to facilities in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in a move to exact compliance from erring facilities.

The agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its assistant director, press, Amaka Ejiofor, adding that the exercise would be followed by an enforcement action where facilities would be sanctioned for crimes against the environment.

The director-general of NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro, said NESREA receives a lot of complains from Nigerians on how the activities of some facilities impact on their health and environment.

“My office is besieged daily by Nigerians with complaints bordering on the activities of facilities and the negative impact on their health and the environment.

“Notice of compliance concerns had been served on the facilities and many have refused to abate their infractions on the environment.

“This time, the agency is going ahead to impose sanctions and prosecute defaulters where necessary. We are starting off with the FCT but the exercise will get to all states of the federation. We are at a point where we must do all it takes to protect our environment because it is a basic necessity for our survival on planet earth.”

NESREA is the foremost environmental enforcement agency in the country charged with the responsibility of enforcing all environmental laws, guidelines, policies, standards and regulations in Nigeria and also to prohibit processes and the use of equipment or technology that undermine environmental quality and to enforce compliance with the provisions of international agreements, protocols, conventions and treaties to which Nigeria is signatory.