Tier one financial bank, Access Bank, has been involved in a serious crisis regarding the environmental laws of Lagos state.
According to a statement by the Lagos commissioner for Environment and water resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the bank’s head office located at Oniru in Victoria Island has been found guilty of discharging faecal matter into the public drainage system.
The commissioner revealed that the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office team visited the organization earlier today to seal it off, but they were met with resistance by security personnel.
“Following a whistleblower complaint, I directed the Lagos State Wastewater Management Office team to visit the Access Bank Plc @myaccessbank building at Oniru, Victoria Island, where it was discovered that the wastewater treatment plant at the facility was non-functional, resulting in the discharge of untreated faecal matter into the public drainage system and causing severe damage to the environment. During the enforcement visit, officials of LSWMO were denied access to seal the facility.”
The commissioner revealed that in the process, some members of the LSWMO team were attacked, but samples of the effluent being discharged have been taken for laboratory analysis.
“Security personnel and management representatives of the bank resisted our officers and, in the process, attacked members of the enforcement team. Consequently, the LSWMO team has taken samples of the effluent being discharged from the premises for laboratory analysis, and the results of the test came back positive.”
Furthermore, he mentioned that the Lagos state government will approach the court and arrest everyone who was involved in attacking the government officials.
“The State will also proceed to court to obtain the necessary orders for the arrest and prosecution of individuals involved in the attack on government officials carrying out their lawful duties. Meanwhile, enforcement officers will be reinforced to return and seal off the property tonight in line with the Lagos State Environmental Laws. There will be NO SACRED COWS in the enforcement of environmental regulations. Any individual or organisation found violating environmental laws, regardless of status, will be held accountable.”
Efforts to reach Access Bank’s representative, Adekunle Aderinokun, proved abortive at the time this report was filed.