The National Environmental Standard and Regulations Enforcement Agency has stopped the erection of two telecommunication masts in Ado Ekiti, for violating environmental safety.
The enforcement team led by Mr. Gbenga Kolawole from the Abuja Office and the Ekiti State Coordinator, Elijah Udofia, on Tuesday, while monitoring compliance warned that the agency would prosecute anyone or firm found wanting.
Areas visited included Owode Quarters at the residence of one Micheal Akamuja where a pit was dug very close to a residential house for the erection of telecommunication mast but later abandoned.
Another area visited was Moferere area also in Ado- Ekiti, where a site for the erection of a mast had been overgrown by weeds.
Gbenga said residents must present a certificate that shows the place is suitable for the erection of mast, advising people not to give pices of land close to their houses to telecommunication firms.
“They should not because of monetary gains endanger their lives by selling or giving a piece of land close to Telecommunication providers for erection of mast not considering the hazard it has on their health.
“Some of these telecommunications companies know the effect but they only capitalised on the ignorance of the people to acquired land from them.”
Udofia explained that it was required by law that before any construction, Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Statement must be done and submitted to the agency.
According to him the accepted distance between the house and the mast is 10m, adding that any person who violated the required standard or refused to stop work as directed by the agency would be prosecuted in the court of law.
“From what we are seeing here, they started construction without carrying out the EIA or EIS. So we took action by serving them ‘stop work’ order, we have come here to see if they actually complied with the order.”
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