BY EBI NIEKETIEN
THE Delta State Environmental Protection Agency (DELSEPA) and State Task Force on Environment, yesterday, sealed a popular fast-food outlet on Nnebisi road, Asaba, known as Kilimanjaro, for violating environmental standards.
Speaking to newsmen during the exercise, the General Manager, DELSEPA, Victor Okolie, said that the enforcement action was carried out following series of petitions from concerned residents about the restaurant’s operations.
According to Okolie, the agency had issued multiple warnings to the management of Kilimanjaro regarding their non-compliance with the state’s environmental regulations, but the violations persisted.
“The essence of today’s seal-up is because we have received several petitions against this facility. We have invited them for meetings and proposed mitigative measures, one of which was relocating their generator, as its current location is too close to a resident’s window, causing significant inconvenience. They ignored our directives. This issue has been ongoing since last year.” Okolie explained.
He further revealed that the restaurant failed to provide essential environmental documents, including an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Environmental Audit Report (EAR), and an Environmental Management Plan (EMP).
He noted that they also issued a pre-sanction notice, which the restaurant disregarded, leading the agency to seek legal intervention.
“They were served a court summons but failed to appear. As a result, the magistrate ruled that the restaurant should be sealed pending when they are ready to abate the nuisance they are causin’’, Okolie added.
Okolie emphasized that while the state government encourages private sector investment, businesses must comply with environmental regulations to ensure the well-being of residents, adding that thE action would serve as a deterrent to other businesses violating environmental standards.
Similarly, the Chairman, State Task Force on Environment, Chief Godspower Asiuwhu, confirmed that the state government had reached out to Kilimanjaro’s management through the appropriate agencies, but the restaurant failed to cooperate.
He reiterated the state government’s commitment to strict environmental enforcements to protect public health, and as such, urged businesses to adhere to regulations to avoid similar sanctions.
In his response, the restaurant manager, Patrick Chimobi, stated that they were given the wrong court address and arrived after the hearing had concluded, resulting in the closure order.
He acknowledged that the required measures could not be implemented immediately but remained optimistic that the management would take the necessary steps to reopen the facility.
