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The man in a trending video, caught empting his refuse bag in the drain during rainfall, on Sunday, at Jogunosimi Street, Ikeja, has been arrested at his residence, #9, Imalegbaalafia Street, Alausa, Ikeja.
The man, Mr. Mukaila Ismail Gado, was arrested at his residence by LAWMA enforcement team, shortly after he committed the infraction, and has been prosecuted, in line with the Environmental Laws of Lagos State.
We advise the general public against reckless waste disposal and environmental violations, as serious sanctions await culprits.
The Managing Director/CEO of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has called on residents in the state to support efforts of the Authority to rid the environment of filth, by paying their waste bills promptly.
He said payment for waste services was very crucial to achieving the state’s vision of establishing a cleaner and livable environment, adding that no one was exempted from paying waste bills, regardless of occupation or societal status.
According to him, “We want to appeal to all residents in the state, to make it a duty to pay their waste bills. This is very important because the operations of service providers, rely heavily on people paying for waste services. As a matter of fact, nobody is exempted from this, including civil servants”.
“For the sake of emphasis, there is no section of the Civil Service Rule that exempts government workers from paying for services rendered by PSP operators. This applies to every other profession. We must take responsibility for the change we want to see in our environment. Anyone caught dumping indiscriminately under the guise of belonging to a particular profession, would be made to face the wrath of the law”, he said.
The LAWMA boss reiterated the Authority’s commitment to ensuring that every part of the metropolis was properly sanitised, adding that the agency had stepped up efforts to rid the environment of waste backlogs, through intensive morning and night operations.
He further stated, “We deploy thousands of sweepers, and waste collection trucks daily, across major routes in the city, as well as ensure that waste generated by tenements is taken care of, by PSP operators. We want to assure Lagosians that we will not relent on our efforts to make the environment cleaner and healthier for all”.
Odumboni said the Authority was also working with other sister agencies, such as Neighbourhood Watch and Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA), to check waste migration, a situation where some residents move wastes generated at home in their vehicles, and dump while transiting to another point.
Speaking further, he called on the populace to embrace the culture of recycling and waste sorting from source, which apart from saving the environment from plastic pollution, had numerous economic benefits.
He admonished residents to always bag and containerise their waste, while waiting for the arrival of assigned PSP operators, adding that the practice of waste containerisation would eventually help curb littering and indiscriminate refuse disposal around the city.
For complaints and inquiries on waste management issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has secured jail terms of two months imprisonment, for three persons, for various environmental offences, with a pending judgement for another person who patronised a cart pusher.
This is coming on the heels of the agency’s collaboration with the police to put a stop to incessant attacks on LAWMA’s personnel, ensuring prompt arrest of cart pushers and for those who patronise them.
The Managing Director/CEO of LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, made the disclosure in his office on Tuesday, at Ijora-Olopa, noting that the working arrangement with the police, was aimed at sustaining the renewed offensive on all forms of environmental infractions and unwarranted attacks on the agency’s personnel.
He said, “Last week, we got jail terms for three environmental offenders, with a pending sentence for another person who patronised a cart pusher, making it an offence for anyone to patronise a cart pusher. Before now, we had warned unrepentant environmental violators about our renewed offensive, urging them to shun bad practices. But some people will never change. For three such persons, we secured jail sentences of minimum of two months while one is still pending”.
“I am also happy about LAWMA’s collaboration with the Nigerian Police to end needless attacks on our personnel on day or night duty. That collaboration is also to put an end to cart pushing, as any cart pusher found anywhere in Lagos will be promptly arrested and prosecuted, while those who patronise them will not be spared”, he stressed.
Speaking further, he noted that another set of 600 carts have been destroyed, bringing the total to about 3,000, in the last ten weeks.
He warned residents against patronising cart pushers, as both the cart pusher and the patron were liable, and would be accordingly prosecuted.
He said, “We have demolished carts impounded by our enforcement team in the course of their duty. This is to further reinforce our stance that the activities of cart pushers across the Lagos metropolis remain banned. We will not allow anyone or group of persons to undermine the ongoing efforts to establish a sustainable environment”.
Odumboni reiterated the Authority’s willingness to absorb willing cart pushers into the waste management system in the state, by offering them an opportunity to serve as uptakers of recyclable items, working hand in hand with other stakeholders in the waste management chain.
“The ill effects of cart pushing on our environment and security structure, mean that we have to eradicate it, to preserve lives and properties. Criminals now hide under the guise of cart pushing to carry out heinous crimes. However, as I stated earlier in the year, we are offering an opportunity to willing cart pushers to work with us, as offtakers, and by so doing have viable means livelihood”, he stated.
The LAWMA boss reaffirmed the agency’s total commitment to making the metropolis sustainably clean, urging residents to support the Authority’s efforts, by shunning improper waste disposal, paying their waste bills and patronising assigned PSP operators.
For complaints and inquiries on waste management issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617, .
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
23/08/2022
The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has given assurance, that the backlog of waste dotting the cityscape would be a thing of the past in seven days.
He said this while coordinating operational activities around the city, adding that LAWMA would exploit the gradual cessation of rainfall and appreciable progress on landfill rehabilitation, to achieve the feat.
Odumboni said: “Thankfully, the rains have subsided and coupled with the reasonable progress on rehabilitation at the landfills, all these are working for good to complement our efforts. I can tell you that in seven days, the backlog of refuse will be gone. We have re-energised our operational machinery, working in renewed collaboration with the PSP operators”.
He also stated that the Authority was working on a special arrangement with PSPs, to make sure that they rendered optimal service delivery, adding that the agency had been providing backup services in areas with noticeable service gaps.
“We are working on an arrangement to sort out some of the issues affecting the performance of PSP operators in the state, especially the issue of scarcity and high cost of diesel, which has practically undermined our efforts to rid the state of the waste backlog”, he stated.
The LAWMA boss urged residents to bag and containerise their waste and support efforts of the Authority to sanitise the environment, by shunning indiscriminate waste disposal, one of the major factors leading to flood disasters and other attendant environmental hazards.
Also speaking, the president of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. David Oriyomi, noted that the PSP operators have a renewed commitment to their responsibility of maintaining a clean Lagos environment, despite obvious challenges, adding that the PSPs would stop at nothing to get the job done.
He promised that the PSP operators would continue to work closely with LAWMA, to discharge their statutory duties of evacuating waste generated by tenements in the state, appealing to residents to ensure prompt payment of their waste bills.
For inquiries and complaints on waste management related issues in your area, please call LAWMA toll-free numbers: 07080601020 and 617.
Kadiri Folashade (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
19/07/2022
The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Ibrahim Odumboni, has given assurance on the agency’s determination to cart away all refuse generated during the Sallah celebrations, to leave the city sustainably clean.
He gave the indication while reviewing the Authority’s level of preparedness, to tackle the expected huge volume of waste, to be generated during Eid-el-kabir festivities.
Odumboni stated that the various operational districts have been properly positioned, to cope seamlessly with the increased volume of waste, expected from residents around the city.
According to him: “We are well aware that the Sallah period will leave us with tons and tons of waste to evacuate. Be assured that we are fully prepared and equipped for the task. It is not the first time we will be doing it; we will do it again and even better this time.
“Our various operational districts have been properly positioned and empowered to tackle the expected task. This is just to assure you that LAWMA is fully prepared for that challenge”, he stressed.
Speaking further, he noted that despite the persisting challenge of exhorbitant diesel cost, LAWMA was scaling hurdles to deliver, and has put the PSP operators on their toes, to work around the obvious challenge, and render service irrespective of assigned days to the people for the common good of all.
Odumboni noted that part of the extra measures put in place for a dirt-free celebration, include mass distribution of trash bags at praying grounds, for the muslim faithful to properly bag their waste, especially animal waste, adding that a newspaper publication of the names and contacts of LAWMA officials, has also been done, for residents to get across for prompt service intervention.
He urged residents to observed the festivities with moderation and piety, in line with spiritual injunctions, urging them to desist from dumping wastes indiscriminately on road medians, canals, uncompleted buildings and other unauthorized locations.
The LAWMA boss also stated that the Authority’s management team had been assigned to different locations around the metropolis, to monitor the environment during the period, urging residents to call the agency’s toll-free lines 07080601020 or 617, to request for prompt attention.
While wishing happy celebrations, he appealed to Lagosians to shun all acts capable of negative impact on the environment, stressing that every resident had a duty to be consciously involved in fostering a sustainable and hygienic environment.
Kadiri Folashade (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
LAWMA
Thursday, 7th July 2022