The Lagos State Government has come under criticism from Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) for closing factories belonging to Coca-Cola Bottling Company, FrieslandCampina WAMCO and Guinness Nigeria.
The Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) last week sealed the factories for extracting groundwater for commercial purposes without proper authorisation.
The commission said, for over seven years its engagement with the three companies to desist from the act had either partially complied with or totally ignored, prompting enforcement action.
In an open letter to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Director-General (DG) of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir described the act as unfortunate and ill-timed.
“The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) is constrained to convey this open message to the Governor of Lagos State, as all attempts at approaching the relevant heads of agencies and ministry have failed.
“MAN is appalled by the inauspicious act of the Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LASWARCO) in sealing factories over their purported refusal to pay the astronomical and unjustifiable water abstraction fees imposed by the Commission.
“This action is ill-timed and quite unfortunate, as the commission and MAN had engaged in meaningful dialogue and reached some agreements over the lingering issue about three months ago. This was expected to culminate in a MoU to commence in January 2025,” he said.
