Ogun seals company for illegal dumping, waste burning

The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has sealed Quantum Packaging Nigeria Limited, a paper processing company located along the Lusada-Igbesa Road in Agbara, for allegedly operating an illegal dumpsite and engaging in waste burning. The action was taken following comprehensive surveillance of facilities suspected of environmental infractions.

According to a statement issued by OGWAMA, the company is accused of contravening key environmental regulations, specifically Section 2(b)(a) of the OGWAMA Law 2020 and the Ogun State Environmental and Public Health Law 2006. These laws strictly prohibit open-air waste burning and the unauthorized disposal of refuse.

“

As a regulatory body, we are charged with the management and administration of waste, and regrettably, I was here on a familiarisation visit to this particular company where I discovered that they dumped waste indiscriminately inside their factory instead of allowing government-accredited waste collectors to collect and dispose of it properly, and they were subsequently warned to desist.

Mr. Farouk Akintunde, the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of OGWAMA, stated that the company had been previously warned during a familiarization visit when waste dumping was discovered within its premises instead of being handed over to accredited collectors. Despite this warning, surveillance teams monitored the company's waste disposal practices and found evidence of a large dumpsite near the factory, where significant burning was occurring, presumably to conceal their activities.

Akintunde emphasized that these alleged activities pose a serious threat to the environment and the health of residents, particularly due to the dangers associated with open-air waste burning. The state government reiterated its commitment to environmental protection while maintaining a business-friendly climate, asserting that operations detrimental to public health and environmental safety would not be tolerated. The company will remain sealed until it ceases its illegal operations and addresses the environmental violations.

“

This warning led to our surveillance team monitoring their waste disposal, and it was therefore discovered that they operate a very big dumpsite on a large expanse of the land near their factory where a lot of burning was also done to hide their dastardly act, so the authority and the state government had no option but to shut them down.