Ogun State shuts down paper company for illegal waste dumping

The Ogun State Waste Management Authority has shut down Dahua Paper Company Limited in Owiwi Village, near Obada-Oko, Abeokuta. This action is due to the company's alleged operation of an illegal dumpsite and burning of waste.

The authority stated that the company broke the state’s Environmental and Public Health Law 2006 and Section 2(b)(a) of the OGWAMA Law 2020. These laws ban open burning of waste by individuals and businesses.

PUNCH Metro learned from a statement on Tuesday that this enforcement followed several months of monitoring and gathering information by the authority.

Faruk Akintunde, the Special Adviser to the Governor and Managing Director of OGWAMA, led the team that sealed the company. He said the company was found operating an illegal dumpsite right across from its factory, where they dumped and burned waste.

Akintunde explained that the company's waste disposal practices threatened nearby communities and local water sources. "To confirm our intelligence report about them, the company was found operating at the illegal dumpsite, pushing the waste to a river at the end of the dumpsite, thereby contaminating the water bodies and polluting the underground water, as the river serves nearby villages, hence putting the health of villagers in danger," he said.

The director also mentioned that the company allegedly used lorries to dispose of waste at the illegal dumpsite. These lorries were also found on-site and taken by the authority.

"Aside from these, two lorries used by the company to dump their waste at the illegal dumpsites were also caught on site and have equally been confiscated," he added.

Akintunde warned that the company would remain sealed and would face serious consequences for these alleged environmental violations. He also cautioned individuals and companies involved in illegal dumpsites or burning waste to stop and register with OGWAMA for proper waste disposal.

"Those who are in the habit of operating illegal dumpsites or involved in waste burning should desist forthwith and register with the Ogun State Waste Management Authority for proper disposal of their waste or wait till the long arm of the law catches up with them," he said.

This sealing happened about three weeks after PUNCH Metro reported on July 12 that OGWAMA had warned market leaders and traders against turning markets into illegal dumpsites. The authority threatened to shut down markets that did not follow waste management rules.

Akintunde gave this warning after clearing long-standing waste dumps at Farmers’ Market on Solu Road, Ifo, and Mamu Market in Ifo and Ijebu North Local Government Areas.