The Director General of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Dr Lawrence Anukam, has disclosed that the 2007 NESREA Act, which is under review, will address the issue of weak sanctions to industries that break environmental laws to pollute the environment.
Speaking in a briefing as part of the activities to mark the agency’s 11th National stakeholder’s forum tagged ‘Environmental Governance, a Key to Achieving Green Economy’, Dr Anukam said the law is under review with the National Assembly and has passed second reading, hoping it will be ready by the end of the year, and stronger.
He noted that though the issue of compliance and monitoring of industries is not really 100 per cent, but the industries were beginning to understand the laws and key into them towards achieving a sustainable environment.
According to him, with the new law coming, it will give freedom to the judges to use their discretion to sanction industries or individuals that failed to comply with the legislation and pollute the environment.
He said the forum is to deepen knowledge and mainstream green agenda into the economy, adding that it will bring together the public to discuss topical issues on environment and environmental governance and chart the way forward.
He said the people must make sure that development is not at variance with the environment, saying, “People at home must know the way they make noise, dump refuse and use their environment to ensure it complies with the green economy.”
The NESREA boss however urged people to ensure that they complied with existing environmental laws and desist from polluting the environment, saying, “We encourage you don’t try to pollute because it is more difficult to remediate than to control.”
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