The Joint team of the Ministry of Environment and Solid Mineral; and Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Environment has ordered Golden Tripod International Limited Oz Production and Shoe Brake Manufacturing Industry Project, Uyo-AKS to cease operation with immediate effect pending when due documents authorising their operations are provided to guide further action.
The order was handed down earlier today as the team paid an oversight visit to the company located at Ikot Ebido Oku along Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo.
On behalf of the visiting team, the Member representing Nsit Atai State Constituency and the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Environment, Rt. Hon Mark Esset announced that the Company should be shut down immediately pending when they can provide necessary documents permitting their operations.
The team also comprising the Chairman of the Committee, Rt. Hon Asuquo Archibong and the Commissioner for Environment and Solid Mineral, Mr. Charles Udoh, frowned at the action of the workers who attacked the visiting team and their vehicles.
In a brief interface at the Ministry of Environment and Solid Mineral with the Managing Staff of Tripod International Limited, the team resolved as follows;
"For obstructing the official oversight duties of the Government by hoodlums and destroying our vehicles; For operating without official permit from the Akwa Ibom State Government; and posing serious health/environmental hazard to the workers and residents through your operations against all environmental standards, your operations should be stood down with immediate effect till further notice pending when official documents permitting your operations will be provided for further action."
In his reaction, the Commissioner for Environment and Solid Mineral, Mr. Charles Udo said the company has not only violated the environmental standards which is in the concurrent list of the State Government but endangers the lives of residents around the area.
The Commissioner said since the company started operation in 2018, they have never reached out to the Ministry about their operations as contained in the unauthorized Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the company.
Collaborating the claims of environmental hazards posed by the operation of the company, residents lament of dark coloured rain water with black soot emission.
Further interrogations of the Managing staff who took over operations of the company after the death of the former MD, who was also a Chinese man, revealed that they have been evading invitations from the State Ministry of Environment; House Committee on Environment; and Environmental Health Workers who sealed the place at a time and sued them. These invitations were not respected by the Company with the excuse that the current MD, addressed as Mr. LTN 2Z was not around on medical grounds.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Nsudoh Nsudoh said that by right the Company before operation should have provided Operational Permit, Health Safety Permit and approved EIA via the designated organ of Government.
The Ministry warned other Companies operating in the State without recourse to the existing environmental standards to retrace their steps and allow this to serve as a deterrent.
Meanwhile, the MD, Mr LTN 2Z and his Marketing Manager, Mr. Peter Yuan are currently in detention by security officers pending proper investigation on the matter by the government team.
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