ALTON SEEK CLARIFICATIONS ON EIA DEMAND NOTICES BY STATES FROM FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON]
have written to the Federal Ministry of Environment seeking
clarification on whose right IT is to issue Demand Notices on
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), ; Federal Ministry of
Environment/National (FME)/, National Environmental Standards and
Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) or the State Ministries of
Environment.

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IN A PRESS STATEMENT SIGNED BY THE Chairman ALTON,
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo ,THE BODY REITERATED ITS COMMITMENT AS
responsible corporate citizens of the country that abide with the laws
of the land and natural partner in progress , and is seeking
clarification on the following issues at stake;
1. That the Federal Ministry of Environment has ceded the EIA
oversight functions to
some States Ministry of Environment to issue EIA Certification to our members.
2. That some States Ministry of Environment as the case may be can conduct EIA
process to our members without recourse to the Federal Ministry of Environment
and National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency
(NESREA).

3. That the Statutory responsibility on environmental issues of the
Federal Ministry of
Environment (FME) has been transferred to the States Government.
4. That the States now have power to collect ecological fund from
private sector after
payment has been made to them by the Federal Government.

THE BODY SEEKS request from the Federal Ministry of Environment to
clarify these positions, so
to guide THEM in THIER dealing with the situation and to advise
members accordingly.

ALTON  pleads with the Federal Government to declare telecommunication
infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure as stated in the
Cybercrime Act 2015 for biding any State or agency from tampering with
any telecoms infrastructure.
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ALTON is the industry body of all licensed telecommunications
operators in Nigeria. It is
duly registered under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
interfaces with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other Government Ministries,
Departments and Agencies on behalf of the telecommunication industry.