Akwa Ibom State Government has sealed off, Golden Tripod International Company, a Chinese Company operating in Uyo the State Capital for consistently polluting its environment.
The commissioner for Environment and Solid Minerals, Charles Udoh announced this after interacting with the leadership of the company, in conjunction with the Joint Task Force from his Ministry, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, Environmental Health Officers and the House Committee on Environment.
SUdoh said the action became necessary, after several failed attempts to make the company comply with environmental standards, and especially physical attack on the Environment Boss and other members of the Joint Task Force during an inspection visit to the company at Ikot Ebido, earlier on Thursday. During the visit, the Task Force was not only denied initial entry, but also had some members injured and government vehicles destroyed.
Disclosing that the incident had been reported to security agencies, Udoh said the Managing Director of the Company Mr. LIN ZZ and the Marketing Manager, Mr. Peter Yuan were being remanded pending further investigations into the matter.
Udoh noted that the action will serve as deterrence to other companies who may still be operating without regards to the environmental laws of the State. He emphasised that nobody is discouraging people from doing business in the state, provided due process and environmental laws of the State are respected, with a view to guaranteeing the safety of employees and the environment.
The Environment helemsman said the company, having been in operation in the state since 2018 without meeting with the relevant government bodies, despite several attempts by the regulators, was in clear violation of environmental laws in the state.
He therefore emphasised that the Ministry, in line with the directives of the House Committee on Environment, will ensure that Golden Tripod Company does not operate until all regulatory requirements are met.
Also speaking, the Deputy Chairman House Committee on Environment, Rt. Hon Mark Esset said what necessitated the sealing of the company was the of series of petitions from workers and individual dwellers around the operational base of the company.
The Lawmaker said, the Village Head of Ikot Odoro Oku, Obong E. U. Ikpe testified that series of letters had been written to get the company to desist from polluting the community with harmful waste materials. According to the lawmaker, who displayed the letter written to the company by the Village Head of Nnwut usung, another immediate community of Golden Tripod, the company never made efforts to remedy the hazardous situation.
He decried the continuous operation of the company without legal documents and consistently ignoring invitations by the Environment Ministry, Agencies of government and the House Committee on Environment.
The Managing Director of Golden Tripod International, Mr. LIN ZZ, who said the company was handed over to him in 2018, requested for time to check for relevant documents and promised to comply with environmental standards in the state.
The company is into the production of motorcycle spare parts.
