Lagos Waste Management cautions violators of environmental laws

The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA is again sounding a note of warning to perpetual violators of the State environmental laws.

The riot act is coming following an increase in the number of cart pushers across the State, as identified by the agency, which poses a threat to environmental sustainability and security of the State.

The agency says it has destroyed more than 400 carts, confiscated from pushers, who serially dump waste at unauthorised locations across the city, in clear violation of environmental laws of the state.

The Managing Director/CEO LAWMA, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, stated that the activities of cart pushers across the Lagos metropolis remained banned, as LAWMA would continue to decimate the cart population defacing the cityscape.

The LAWMA boss however reaffirmed the agency’s total commitment to making the State’s city space an environment- friendly one.

He maintained that the State is not relenting to ensure every residents enjoy a secured and friendly environment, urging residents to join in the quest for a cleaner Lagos by shunning improper waste disposal, paying their waste bill and patronising assigned private operators.

According to him, “Cart pushers are about the biggest threat to our effort at attaining environmental sustainability. We will not allow anyone or group of persons to derail the ongoing efforts to make the environment better. Criminal elements have hidden under this guise to carry out heinous crimes. If there are no carts to push, they will get other jobs.

“They pose as much threat to the environment as to the security of the citizens. It will shock you to know that many of them keep weapons like knives, machetes, etc, in their carts to attack and dispossess unsuspecting persons when the opportunity presents itself. One of such cart pusher was tried and jailed last week, having been apprehended at Victoria Island, vandalising and stealing government’s iron rods. There have been many reported cases of theft of movable items from people’s compounds traced to them”.

The LAWMA boss added that opportunity was open for repentant cart-pushers, to step forward, get registered with LAWMA, given proper orientation, and trained as pickers and offtakers of recyclables, working hand in hand with other stakeholders in the waste management chain.

Odumboni maintained that government was not interested in taking away their means of livelihood, which has to be within the confines of the law.

The president of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, AWAMN, Mr. David Oriyomi, lauded government’s constant support for the association, while promising a new era of fruitful collaboration with LAWMA.

In a separate interview with an environmental expert, Mr. Tokunbo Omojowo, the current move by LAWMA and the State government’s stride to tame the activities of the cart pushers as well as consistent advocacy about proper disposal of waste is the way to restore sanity in the environment.

Omojowo believes the recent adopt-a-bin and recycling initiatives among other intuitive ideas by LAWMA would assist to achieve a friendly and habitable environment.

Emmanuel Ukoh