FG Slams N500m Suit Against MTN For Environmental Abuses

The Federal Government has commenced civil action against frontline telecommunications company, MTN, by demanding N500 million as damage and another N1 million for cost of the action for installing two 15KVA generators in densely populated areas of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The government, through its agency, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), filed a legal action before the Federal High Court in Abuja last Friday seeking to restrain MTN from further acts constituting dangers to human health and the environment.
According to the writ of summons, the crux of the case is the unwholesome practice of MTN in total disregard to issues pertaining to environment in the course of installation of their equipment and other telecommunications facilities.
In the suit filed by the agency’s counsel, the telecommunications firm was accused of erecting its base-station in a dense residential area within the Abuja metropolis, where it installed two heavy-duty generators operating on a 24-hour basis.
The firm was also said to have installed a mast on the rooftop of residential premises in utter disregard to the possible radio-active and electromagnetic discharges on the people living around the facility.
According to NESREA, its action was necessitated by numerous genuine complaints from residents and in the exercise of its power as enunciated in the establishing law.
NESREA is asking the court to order MTN to remove the said base station and indeed all its equipment as they constitute nuisance, pain and grave danger to people’s health and degradation of the environment.
It is also seeking among other claims a declaration that the construction of the base station, surface storage tank for diesel, installation of two KVA generating sets and communication masts, constitute a real threat to human health and the environment, an order of perpetual injuction restraining the defendant from further operating the communication facilities located within the premises.
In an affidavit deposed to by the Assistant Director in-charge of Environmental Inspection and Enforcement, Mrs. Veronica Enemali, NESREA wants the court to order the defendants to remove all its facilities including its rooftop monopole antenna mounted on the rooftop of the premises and N500 million as general damages.
The agency, in a statement, said the legal action was taken following MTN’s failure to honour the invitation for a meeting to resolve the problem peacefully.
“NESREA is reacting to the genuine complain from the residents and in the exercise of its power as enunciated in the relevant law and considered it legally expedient to take this course of action after the failure of MTN to honour the invitation for a meeting to resolve the problem,” it said.

If we decide to sue the government then the nation will go broke because nothing actually works in thisnation. we will start by sueing them for lying that their would be clean water for all which thehre is not, light, road, education, etc. oh boy the country go broke seriously

I think mtn should find a way of running them cell sites with obs's blood