The Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) has sealed Quantum Packaging Nigeria Limited, a paper-processing company located along the Km 7 Lusada-Igbesa Road in Agbara, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, over alleged illegal waste disposal and open-air burning.
The company was shut by the environmental regulatory authority after it was allegedly found operating an unauthorised dumpsite on an expansive portion of land near its facility and burning waste in the open.
The activities were said to contravene Section 2(b)(a) of the OGWAMA Law 2020 and provisions of the Ogun State Environmental and Public Health Law 2006, which prohibit indiscriminate dumping of refuse and open-air burning of waste.
Speaking after the enforcement operation, the Special Adviser to the Ogun State Governor and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde, said the company was identified following intensified surveillance of industrial facilities suspected of committing environmental infractions across the state.
Akintunde said the authority had previously visited Quantum Packaging during a familiarisation exercise, where officials allegedly discovered that the company was disposing of its waste indiscriminately within its premises rather than engaging government-accredited waste collectors.
According to him, the company was warned to discontinue the practice and comply with the state’s waste-management regulations.
He explained that subsequent surveillance by OGWAMA officials showed that the company had allegedly continued with improper waste disposal.
READ ALSO; How security forces tracked down seven abducted Ogun Polytechnic students
“As a regulatory body, we are charged with the management and administration of waste. 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 them properly, and they were subsequently warned to desist,” Akintunde said.
He added that the authority’s monitoring team later discovered what it described as a large illegal dumpsite on land close to the company’s factory.
The OGWAMA boss alleged that substantial quantities of waste had been accumulated at the site and that some of the materials were being burnt in an attempt to conceal the illegal disposal activities.
“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 land near their factory where a lot of burning were equally done to hide their dastardly act,” he said.
Akintunde said the findings left the authority with no option but to shut the facility in order to prevent further environmental degradation.
He warned that indiscriminate dumping and open-air burning pose significant risks to public health and the environment, particularly when industrial waste is involved.
According to him, smoke and pollutants released through uncontrolled waste burning can expose residents and workers to hazardous substances and contribute to respiratory and other health problems.
He stressed that the Ogun State Government would continue to enforce environmental regulations irrespective of the status of companies operating within the state.
Akintunde said the government remained committed to creating an enabling environment for businesses but would not permit industrial activities to compromise public health or degrade the environment.
He explained that the sealing of the facility was not intended to frustrate legitimate business activities but to compel compliance with the state’s environmental laws.
The OGWAMA managing director said Quantum Packaging Nigeria Limited would remain sealed until it addresses the alleged environmental violations.
He said the company would be required to shut down the illegal dumpsite and develop and implement a comprehensive remediation plan to remove the accumulated waste and restore the affected area.
“The company will not be opened until they shut down the illegal dumpsite and put up a remediation plan to rid the dumpsite of all wastes before the state can think of unlocking the company,” he said.
The enforcement action forms part of the Ogun State Government’s broader efforts to strengthen environmental compliance among industrial and commercial operators.
OGWAMA has continued to warn businesses, manufacturers and other establishments against indiscriminate waste disposal, illegal dumpsites and open-air burning, stressing that compliance with approved waste-management procedures is mandatory.
The authority’s action against Quantum Packaging also underscores the growing scrutiny of industrial facilities in the state’s major manufacturing corridors, particularly around Agbara and other rapidly developing areas where improper waste management could have consequences for surrounding communities.
The company is expected to comply with the remediation requirements and other directives issued by the environmental authority before its premises can be considered for reopening.
Comments
Start the conversation about this story.