The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has called for proper pollution control and improved management of hazardous products and environmental waste in all work places and industries.
The Director-General of the organisation, Mr Osita Aboloma, made the call at a sensitisation workshop in Ado Ekiti on Saturday.
Aboloma, who was represented by the SON Regional Coordinator for South West, Mrs Akosile Tosan, said that the call was necessary so as to reduce the menace of environmental pollution and avoidable deaths among the populace.
TBI Africa said the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that sensitisation workshop had the theme: “The Relevance of Environmental Management for Sustainable and Efficient Ecosystem’’.
The director-general decried the careless manner in which many organisations handled critical issues relating to the environment.
According to him, one major problem that keeps rearing its ugly head is the menace of environmental pollution.
“As industrial action increases, cases of water poisoning, air pollution, land pollution and many others have geometrically increased.
“Unfortunately, these hazards in turn affect the entire ecological system negatively, and such negative effects include food poisoning, desert encroachment, flooding and global warming among others,’’ Aboloma said.
He said that the SON, being the apex standardisation body in the country, was saddled with the technical responsibility of preparing standards relating to products, materials as well as environment.
The SON director-general said that the organisation would not fold its arms and watch the environment being destroyed.
“We have, as part of our mandate, to ensure that our living habitat and existence is not terminated suddenly,’’ he said.
Aboloma explained that it was in pursuant of these objectives that the sensitisation was organised to further enlighten stakeholders on proper management of their environment to guarantee safety of lives and property.
