Indorama Petro-chemical Limited has debunked a write-up allegedly circulated in the media by a group known as Alliance for the Eleme Defence that its operations are hazardous to the environment.
The Head, Corporate Communications of Indorama-Nigeria, Dr. Jossy Nkwocha, stated this after conducting newsmen on facility tour of the company at Eleme, last Friday.
He said it was necessary for the company to debunk the allegation in the media space, because Alliance for the Defence of Eleme had circulated a write-up to some media houses to mislead the general public.
“Recently, a group of persons by the name “Alliance for the Defence of Eleme” circulated a write-up to some media houses, supposedly sent to International Finance Corporation (IFC), African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Emerging African Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), stating that the funding agencies have committed financial assistance to Indorama for various projects in Nigeria.
“They went further to state that ‘it is crucial for you to be aware that there is a subsisting court order at the Federal High Court Port Harcourt with Suit No. FHC/PH/ CS/23/2024, restraining Indorama from further pollution of our environment’.
“As a responsible corporate organisation, we do not intend to make comments on a matter in court but since the above-mentioned group of persons have already put it in the public space through the media, we just wish to publicly reassure our financial partners, government agencies, host communities, and other stakeholders that our operations are environment-friendly and have been operated under national and international standards”, he said.
Nkwocha stated that the exparte order which only required Indorama to ensure that its operations did not lead to the pollution of the environment pending the determination of the motion on notice had expired.
According to him, “on the 17th April, 2024 when the matter came up, the court ordered parties to file pleadings and made no reference to any order, because as of the moment, there is no subsisting order whatsoever against Indorama”.
He reiterated the company’s commitment to safe and healthy environment by implementing effective environment management system as an integral part of its operations.
“To achieve our commitment, we have implemented a robust Environment Management and Monitoring System, and the environment performance is acknowledged by Regulators and Lenders”, he added.
Nkwocha said that it was mischievous and misleading for anyone to circulate such a mendacious write-up to the general public through the mass media and supposedly to company’s financial partners.