By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
The state coordinator for National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, NESREA, in Benue state, Mr. Daniel Iormough has revealed that the federal government has banned the production and use of plastics in the country, stressing that the office intends to commence awareness for effective compliance.
Iormough who spoke to our correspondent at the weekend in Makurdi, explained that the ban was to ensure that environmental regulations are observed in order to keep the environment clean, announcing affected items to includes sachet water, strolls as well as take away packs amongst others.
The NESREA Benue State coordinator further disclosed that the office intends to commence full awareness campaigns as soon as possible for producers of those items, users and the general public to take precautions, adding that at the end of public awareness anyone who contraven the ban, if caught, would be severely dealt with.
According to him, the Agency shall soon embark on implementation of the law enforcing the prohibition of the ban.
Iormough who outlined the role of his organization as that of enforcing environmental compliance both in the state and at federal level in the country as enshrined in the constitution, noted other work schedule of the organization to includes monitoring across all the local government areas of the state to ensure compliance from individuals and organisations.
He lamented lack of logistics particularly operational vehicles hindering NESREA from carrying out its effective collaboration to cover the 23 local government areas in the state, appealing to the Benue State government to come to the organization’s aid to assist it carry out its functions.
Iormough during the interview applauded the efforts of Benue State Environmental and Sanitation Authority, BENSESA, under the new leadership through their efforts in keeping the state capital clean, assuring that NESREA on its part would continue to complement efforts of BENSESA to ensure that Benue people enjoy clean environment.