By Bisola Adeyemo
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has sealed up Sabon Dale Plaza, located at Olu Awoyesu Street, Jabi Abuja over open defecation and discharging waste water into the street.
Director of (AEPB) Engr. Olisama Braimah, disclosed in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Abuja immediately after the board sealed up the premise.
Explaining the reason for the seal-up of the plaza, Engr. Braimah said, “Sabon Dale Plaza, has been discharging waste water into the street for months and immediately we discovered, we sent them notices which they ignored and after failing to heed summons by mobile courts, the court gave the seal-up order which we have simply enforced.
Explaining further, the Director said the plaza was sealed due to open defecation, overgrown trees and shrubs, open defecation, overcrowding and other unsanitary conditions within its premise.
“Apart from gross violations of the environment, Sabon Dale plaza has an outstanding waste management bills of 138 Million Naira which has accumulated since 2012 when they last made payments.”
Revealing steps taken by the AEPB to post seal-up of the Sabon Dale Plaza, Engr. Braimah stated that the board went to the plaza as a team, comprising Enforcement and Environmental Health officers.
“The place is being sanitised as our engineers, who understand the sewer system of the FCT have been dratted there to assist them. In addition, our sewage truck was also on ground to evacuate sewage and the overgrown trees have been trimmed, evacuation of piles of construction waste on the walk way. We assisted them to improve their sanitary condition in no small way.
Furthermore, we shall be deploying our environmental health officers to ensure that occupants of offices and shops in the complex live hygienically in the are of functional and clean toilets.” he retorted.
The director reiterated that the board is determined to get rid of every unsanitary and unwholesome practice that contravenes the environmental laws of the FCT.