For failing to tender a statement of impact assessment, officials of the National Environmental Standards and Regulatory Enforcement Agency (NESREA) have sealed up six quarry and construction firms operating in Cross River state.
State Coordinator of the regulatory body, Mr Raph Nnam, who made this known in Calabar during the visit of an NGO, Friends of Environment and Technology Organisation, to his office, also said one person was arrested for breaking NESREA’s seal.
Nnam said the act of breaking government’s seal was criminal in nature and that the Agency was poised to go extra mile to ensure that quarry/construction firms that violate established laws with impunity were made to face the full wrath of the law.
He added that ever before any quarry blasting and construction firm should commence operation, such audit exercise was necessary.
He said: “We have no time to ask defaulters to go back and do the right thing, and since they had made up their mind to violate established laws, they must pay a fine called violation fee which is N1.1million or face prosecution. So far, five erring companies have paid the fine.”
Earlier, the Executive Director, Friends of Environment and Technology Organisation, Engr. David Missang Alobi, had told the NESREA boss that his organisation was poised to promote environmental friendliness, fresh interest in technology and creative innovations in technological development.
