Patrick Osadebamwen
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA has continued its onslaught on companies that have defied the implementation of Environmental Impact Assessment on their various sites of operation with a view to enforce them.
The Agency decommissioned a telecommunication mast operated by Globacom within a residential area in OAU Quarters inMaitama, Abuja as the company’s mast site was being operated in contravention of environmental laws and regulations.
NESREA’s Deputy Director in charge of Inspection , Compliance and Monitoring, Mrs. Miranda Amachree said “following petitions from residents, an investigation was carried out by the Agency, which revealed that Globacom did not obtain the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate before the erection of the mast”.
In addition to non-compliance with environmental certification, Mrs. Amachree disclosed that tests carried out at the site showed that “the noise level was very high compared to what should be obtainable in a residential area”.
She said “the mast also violated the regulation on the distance between a telecommunication mast and a residential building, as well as the distance from the road.”
Director of Legal Services of NESREA, Barrister Bola Odugbesan told journalists that efforts were made to” hold dialogue with the operator of the illegal mast, but there was no response from Globacom”.
The Agency was compelled in the interest of the environment and public safety to the relevant laws on the mast site.
The Director also said there was no going back on the enforcement of environmental laws, adding that the Agency presently has four court cases in different parts of the country, while it has gone ahead to decommission many illegal masts .
According to Barrister Odugbesan, “ We will follow the law, we will apply the law, we will enforce the law!”.
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