National Union of Textile, Garment, tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, has appealed Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos, over the continuous closure of United Textile, UNT, PLC, Ikorodu, by Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, LASEPA.

The union lamented that UNT PLC which presently employ over 4000 direct workers was shut down since July 26 by officials of LASEPA over alleged environmental pollution of the community river.

In a petition by the union through its General Secretary, Comrade Issa Aremu, leaders of NUTGTWN appealed to Governor Fashola to intervene with a view of ensuring the immediate reopening of the company.

The petition read in part:As a union and affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, we stand for both industrial development and environmental renewal and protection.

We have at various fora acknowledged and saluted your Excellency for your administration’s untiring effort in all aspects of development of Lagos State. We commend your Excellency for your effort in the area of infrastructural development and in ensuring a clean and healthy environment for all the citizens of the state.

It is against this background that our National Executive Council, NEC, urgently appeal to your Excellency to use your good office to quickly intervene with a view of ensuring the immediate reopening of the company.

We bear witness as partners of Lagos in development that necessary machineries are being put in place by the management of the factory with a view of ensuring a friendly industrial environment and clear the pollution in the community.

According to the union, “after more than two weeks of closure, there is an increasing desperation on the part of the management and our members who are workers of the firm that the current closure puts at risk their jobs and investment”.

We hereby request that Your Excellency intervenes urgently to order the immediate reopening of UNT Plc Ikorodu and allow the management of the company and LASEPA to abide by the spirit and content of the action plan to meet the environmental challenge in the factory and the community.

Reopening of the biggest company is a win-win option for Lagos state looking for investment, mass job creation and environmental protection, Cmorade Aremu added.