Nigerians have reacted angrily to the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA)’s plan to prosecute owners of generators causing air pollution in the country.
Speaking in Abuja during the first virtual induction workshop for newly accredited Environmental Consultants on Wednesday, Director-General of NESREA, Prof. Aliyu Jauro warned that the agency would no longer permit pollution of the environment by faulty generators and motor vehicles.
He charged the owners to fix the mechanical faults causing their generators and auto vehicles to emit smoke exhorbitantly.
Failure to do this, he said, such owners could be barred from using the vehicle and generator, or given an option of fine or a combination of jail and fine depending on the gravity of the offence.
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He explained that plans were underway to launch the National Vehicular Emission Control Programme (NVECP) and the National Generator Emission Control Programme (NGECP), to address air pollution from the two sources.
However, many Nigerians who reacted to Jauro’s comment noted that the dependence on generators was a sign of government’s failure to provide stable electricity.
They said any attempt to punish Nigerians for using generators where electricity was not reliable would amount to adding insult to injury.
“Are you for real?” a social media user, Saint Paul queried.
Another user, John Ben said, “If government is providing electricity, will people be using generators? If the roads are good, people’s cars will hardly be faulty.
“It is ridiculous that those who failed in their responsibilities are now trying to make suffering citizens scapegoats.”
Ishaq Ibrahim wrote, “What about owners of faulty national grid and transmission companies?”
Ukpong-collins Akpan said, “Government at all tiers and their ministries and agencies are major culprits here.”
“So in Nigeria now been poor u must serve a jail term?” Kelvin Alisigwe queried.