Author: oduduwanews

The enforcement team of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) on Tuesday sealed thirty water factories across the state for various infractions ranging from unhygienic production environment, failure to comply with regulatory provisions as well as operating without adhering to good manufacturing practices.

Executive Secretary of LASWARCO, Mrs Funke Adepoju said the enforcement was in line with the mandate of the commission towards protecting residents from unhygienic water consumption, just as she said that the exercise would be sustained.

She said prior to the enforcement, LASWARCO had taken steps to engage and sensitize producers on best practices in the interest of residents, and also financial viability of their investments.

According to her, “In as much as we have the mandate to ensure that operators remain in business, we also cannot fold our arms and allow infractions to fester without being addressed. The primary regulatory mandate of the Commission is to ensure that operators in the water abstraction, production and distribution industry comply with best manufacturing procedures to safeguard the health of the people.”

She said the level of poor and unwholesome practices discovered in some water factories in the state was not only disheartening but frightening, vowing that LASWARCO would do all within its powers to ward off any attempt to put the lives of residents in jeopardy.

Giving details of the enforcement, Adepoju said: “the enforcement team of LASWARCO visited some water production factories in the state with on-site testing kits and the result confirmed that most of them are operating far below safety parameters.

“We found out that some factories that were earlier sealed were operating after the seal order was unsealed by their officials, while some were operating in very dirty environment and below regulatory standards.

“As the regulatory body empowered by Section 313 (h) of the Lagos State Environmental Management Protection Law, 2017, to regulate the activities of those engaged in the provision, consumption, treatment, packaging, sales and supply of bottled drinking water contained in bottles or polythene bags, our principal interest is to ensure acceptable standards.”

She said the commitment of the present administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is towards ensuring that residents have access to potable and safe drinking water in line with the THEMES Agenda and goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Besides, Adepoju said the factories would remain sealed until their owners comply with all safety procedures and duly register for further monitoring in order to facilitate compliance with best practices.

She urged residents to report any water production factory in their neighborhood that is suspected to be involved in unwholesome practices to the Commission for appropriate action, saying it was important for the people to key into the Safe Water Campaign of the Commission and work with the government to protect them.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that no fewer than three men lost to the fight that ensued between a businessman, identified as Felix, aka Tiger, two other yet-to-be-identified and military officers at the Aguiyi Ironsi International Trade Centre, in the Paramo area of Ladipo Market, Lagos State.

wWtnesses confirmed to newsmen that a military officer and his orderly visited the market on Tuesday to change the spare part he bought from a trader.

On their way out, some union members, who were at the entrance of the market, reportedly demanded payment of N200 from them for gate pass.

It was learnt that the request infuriated the military men and in the process, an argument ensued between them and the union members.

A source in the market told our correspondent that the union members allegedly beat the military man and his orderly, adding that the soldiers mobilised three other personnel, who allegedly shot the victims to death.

The trader said, “What happened was that a military man came with his orderly in the morning to change a spare part that he bought from a trader in the market since last week. He came to change it because it did not work, but the military man did not wear his uniform when he came into the market.

“When he was leaving, the union boys at the entrance of the gate told him to pay N200 for gate pass. But because he refused to pay, it turned into a fight and the boys beat the military man and his orderly. So, he went back to his base, returned with three other boys and everywhere scattered as they started shooting.

“About three people have been killed; in fact, a trader, Felix, aka Tiger, whose shop is located on my line, was part of the people that were killed by stray bullets. Felix was carrying his goods into his shop during the fracas when a stray bullet hit him.

“We quickly rushed him to the hospital, but he died on the way. The incident happened around 1pm, but the military man came to the market around 9am.”

However, the Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Airforce, Edward Gabkwat, who gave another version of the story, said a soldier and his civilian friend were in the market for debt collection from a trader when a fight broke out between the soldier and the debtor.

He said, “It was a matter of self-defence; it was purely a domestic matter that went south. A soldier and a civilian friend went to the market for debt collection, whether the debt was for the soldier or civilian, we don’t know. But in the process, a fight ensued between the soldier and the alleged debtor, and the debtor and other civilians pounced on the soldier.

“So, the friend of the soldier ran out to seek help and sighted a vehicle of the Operation MESA, and called their attention to the attack on the soldier. They ran to the scene of the incident, and when they got there, they were confronted by angry traders and civilians in the market, who started throwing stones at them.

“I understood that they collected the rifle of the air force personnel under Operation MESA, and the same soldier, who was under siege by the traders, snatched the rifle back, and was running toward the air force people, but opened fire because he was under threat.

“It was an unfortunate situation. It wasn’t as if it was the air force men that opened fire, but the rifle, which belongs to the air force personnel, has been retrieved. I understand one or two people died, but it is unconfirmed. Our base commander has been told to get to the root of the matter.”