The Ogun State Government has suspended the operations of three environmental consultancy firms over alleged professional misconduct linked to pollution from defunct Used Lead Acid Battery recycling companies in the Ogijo area of the state.
The suspension followed a review of an environmental process audit conducted on the closed recycling firms, which reportedly revealed lapses in compliance and reporting.
Confirming the development in a statement released on Saturday, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, said the affected firms failed to accurately disclose the environmental conditions of the facilities they were engaged to assess.
“Our findings showed that the consultancy firms did not present the true state of operations of the companies to the government,” Oresanya said. “This amounts to a serious breach of professional responsibility.”
He explained that some pollution control and abatement systems that should have been installed at the recycling plants were either absent or inadequately provided, raising concerns about environmental safety and public health.
According to the commissioner, five consultancy firms involved in the audit process were invited to a review meeting at the Ministry of Environment in Abeokuta to clarify their reports.
“Two of the firms appeared and offered explanations. Although their responses were not entirely convincing, they were given the opportunity to correct the identified shortcomings,” he said.
Oresanya, however, noted that the remaining three firms failed to attend the meeting, despite being aware of the allegations against them.
“Their absence from the review meeting suggested clear complicity in the irregularities uncovered during the audit,” he added.
As a result, the state government approved the suspension of the firms from carrying out any environmental consultancy services within Ogun State, pending a full investigation and possible exoneration.
“The suspension remains in force until these firms are able to satisfactorily clear their names,” the commissioner said.
He further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Environmental Standards and Enforcement Agency had been formally informed of the action.
Oresanya stressed that the decision was taken in the interest of public safety and environmental accountability, warning that the state would not hesitate to impose further sanctions if additional evidence of negligence emerges.
