•Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State
Ogun State Government has shut two industries, Quantum Steel Industry in Ogijo, Sagamu Local Government and Xinfeng Plastics Limited along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway over industrial accidents that resulted in fatalities.
Quantum Steels was shut down for an explosion which injured seven Nigerians and expatriate workers, reports Daily Trust.
Xinfeng Plastics was equally closed down after a machine operator, Ishaku Monday, reportedly lost his life due to electrocution.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA who doubled as the Chairman of the State Taskforce on Environmental Compliance and Enforcement, Farook Akintunde said the government took decision to shut down the companies in order to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the unfortunate incidents and proffer solutions to avert future occurrence.
“As a government, we are determined to conduct credible and diligent investigations including inviting external safety experts to get to the root cause of this incidents in the overriding public interest and safety.
“What is even painful is that despite state government’s regular visits to these companies just like others statewide to educate them on the need to adhere strictly to safety procedures, such incidents still occurred within their production lines that resulted in fatalities, so the need to close them down,” he said.
Akintunde added the two companies would remain shut until investigations are concluded and new safety protocols entrenched.
He warned other companies in the state to take safety of the workers, especially those in the production lines, paramount as the state government would not only close down any erring company with such occurrence but would also blacklist them.
The government has equally closed down two other companies, Wemco Nigeria Limited at Magboro along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Beautiful Fibre at Ogere also along the expressway.
Wemco Nigeria Limited was found guilty of obstructing state officials from performing their official assignment of investigating an erosion dispute between them and their immediate community development.
Beautiful Fibre was found guilty of exposing its workers to hazardous chemicals by not providing them with Personal Protective Equipment “despite several warnings by state government officials during routine visits to the companies.
Akintunde said the two companies would also remain shut until they comply with the government’s directives.
