Economic activities was paralyzed on Wednesday as the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, sealed off the Abuja liaison office of the Oyo State Government, OYOINSIGHT.COM can report.
OYOINSIGHT.COM reporter who monitored events for hours noticed that offices of other tenants of Oyo State numbering 15 were not sealed off. This, one of the staff of a company who didn’t want name in print, said was because they have paid up till date.
Workers, who had come very early for work, were left stranded as they couldn’t access their office.
OYOINSIGHT.COM understands that AEPB had dragged the state government to court over two years ago for allegedly not paying his environmental dues.
A court order granted AEPB on July 1st, which empowered it to seal off the office reads: “UPON hearing the application of the Counsel for the prosecution, for the grant of a seal-off order against the premises of the defendant for failing, refusing and or neglecting to appear before the court on the 1ST day of June, 2023 after being summoned, without justifiable reasons; AND
“UPON being satisfied that the defendant of OYO STATE LIASON OFFICE, was served with the summon to appear before this Honourable Court on 1″ day of June, 2023 but failed to appear.
“IT IS HEREBY ORDERED AS FOLLOWS; THAT PURSUANT to Section 30 (4) & (5), of the AEPB ACT of 1997, Section 2 of the AEPB (Waste Management Rates/Charges) Regulations, 2012 the defendant’s premises OYO STATE LIASON OFFICE, Abuja. Is hereby ORDERED SEALED-OFF for being in contempt of this Court and shall remain so until otherwise directed and vacated by this Court.”
As at the time of filing this report, the office hasn’t been unsealed.
