The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has ordered the closure of an automobile assembly company, Carry Heavy Industry Limited (CHIL), located at Moloko–Asipa near Abeokuta, for allegedly engaging in open waste burning. The company, which manufactures heavy-duty and passenger vehicles, was sealed for violating Section 2b(a) of the OGWAMA law, which prohibits individuals and industries from burning waste materials.
Government Action
Farouk Akintunde, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Waste Management and Managing Director of OGWAMA, disclosed on Monday that the agency took the decision after the company's management repeatedly ignored directives to engage government-approved Private Sector Participants (PSPs) for waste disposal. Instead, the company continued open burning of waste, leading to air pollution from toxic emissions.
Akintunde emphasized that the state government would not tolerate practices that endanger public health. He noted that the wellbeing of residents remains paramount, and the company will remain closed until it complies with environmental laws prohibiting waste burning and registers with an approved waste PSP for proper waste disposal. Failure to do so could result in stricter legal sanctions.
Warning to Other Companies
In a related development, OGWAMA issued a warning to Camelin Industry Limited, located along the Sagamu Interchange on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, over similar offences. Akintunde stated that the company was also found guilty of open waste burning, a practice harmful to workers and the surrounding environment. The management of Camelin Industry Limited has been invited by the agency to address the issue.
This enforcement action underscores the state's commitment to environmental protection and public health, sending a clear message to all industries operating in Ogun State.
