By Olakunle Olafioye and Benjamin Okafor
Prior to the 2023 general elections, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) had shown restraint despite being owed huge sums as fees for the clearance of garbage heaps by the leaders of the various associations that run major markets in the state.
The tolerant disposition of the sanitation agency may have been driven by the need to avoid antagonizing the voters that would decide the fate of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during the 2023 governorship election, which he ultimately won.
While bidding its time to allow the post-election litigation and swearing-in ceremonies run their respective courses, LAWMA adopted the carrot approach of sending reminder letters and probable extension of deadlines for payment of the accumulated debts, hoping that the debtors would do the needful and avoid the unpleasant heavy stick of enforcement.
As the LAWMA delayed, the debtor-market associations apparently misread that and failed to clear the debts, leaving the sanitation agency to wield the big stick of enforcement by shutting down several of the markets across the state.
Some weeks ago, LAWMA came down hard on traders in major markets, including Ile-Epo Market in Agbado-Oke Odo, Mile 12 International Market, Owode Onirin Market, Alaba Market, Ladipo Market Oyingbo, Alamutu Ologede Market, among others.
Predictably, there were howls of protests and penitent acceptance of wrongdoing and payment of the debts before the market reopened again for trading activities.
Following the recent crackdowns on the major markets in the state over sanitation infractions, concerned residents in Lagos State have called on the state government to turn its attention to residential buildings and other outlets where people continue to violate environmental laws and expose other residents of the state to dangers of environmental pollution.
Many believe that the clampdown on the markets, which led to a gale of shutdowns, has restored some level of sanity in most of the markets in the state sanitation-wise.
On the contrary, however, major environmental infractions such as indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blocking of water channels with refuse still continue with impunity in many areas in the state.
For example, heaps of refuse that grow overnight is a common sight along major streets and roads in most parts of the state, a development many residents are quick to blame on the failure of waste collection companies to effectively cover their areas of operation.
A resident of Yetkem Road in Ajasa area of Agbado-Oke Odo LCDA, Mr Babatunde Idowu, said that residents of some streets in the area are now battling with the challenge of waste disposal as waste collection trucks can no longer access some of the streets owning to the poor state of the roads in the area.
“The people in the affected streets are left with limited options as far as waste disposal is concerned. Some people have resorted to burning their refuse while some will just drop theirs at undesignated spots, including along major roads,” he said.
A community leader at Suberu Oje, in Alagbado area of the state, Alhaji Musibau Oyeniyi, said that lack of access to some streets by waste managing companies is putting the life of many residents of the area in serious dangers as some people now burn their refuse.
“When you come around in the evening or at night you will see people bringing out their waste for burning. All manners of rubbish and waste are burnt, including those that are capable of posing serious health challenges. And if you accost them as to why they are doing that, the question they will ask you is: how else do you expect them to dispose off their refuse when the waste collectors cannot access their streets?” he said.
Recently, the state government embarked on massive crackdowns on some residents over indiscriminate waste disposal.
For example, no fewer than 30 people were arrested across the state last month.
According to the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the offenders who were arrested by the state environmental law enforcement team were said to have engaged in acts capable of defacing the environment and derailing efforts to entrench cleanliness in the metropolis.
While addressing newsmen over the arrest, the Commissioner noted: “The state government will not fold its hands and watch some elements derail efforts to maintain sanity in the city.
“Today’s action will serve as a deterrent and warning to others. The era of people hiding under the guise of darkness to dump waste at unauthorised locations is over, anyone caught will be prosecuted.”
Not a few residents are of the opinion that the state government needs to do more to entrench cleanliness in the state.
Besides the poor state of the roads leading to some communities in the state, waste management companies also complained of the delay being encountered in discharging the refuse collected at the designated dump sites in the state owning to poor access to the sites.
An operator who spoke to Sunday Sun on the condition of anonymity said that the delays the operators encounter in disposing of the refuse often hinder them from achieving better coverage in their operations.
According to the source, “the major problems (with waste management) in Lagos is problem of bad roads. There are areas that cannot be accessed because the roads are not motorable. Also the delay we face before getting rid of the refuse at the dumpsites from the vehicles. Sometimes we spend days if not weeks before we are able to discharge the waste. This delay makes it difficult to effectively cover our assigned areas of operation.”
In the Ajegunle area of the Lagos metropolis, where he resides, Mr Ebuka stated that he had nothing much to say on the issue of LAWMA and environmental sanitation.
He said that LAWMA PSPs had not been coming to the area to clear the garbage bins.
“If we have dirt or we need to do environmental sanitation in this area, we call people that pack dirt and pay them. And you can see that our environment is always clean and neat,” he said.
Mr Monday Abinde who lives on Awodi-Ora Street stated that recently LAWMA stopped coming to pick up their garbage.
He said that previously, the LAWMA PSP used to come two times in a week.
“But they have not been coming again. During environmental sanitation time, we clean up and pay money to all the cart pushers that pick up garbage and we spend it on paying them and it is really not good. Each room contributes N500 as LAWMA fee. But we have stopped now because they are no longer coming. We pray that they start coming to do their job because we are spending a lot,” he said.
Mr John stated that LAWMA PSPs always come to his area to pick up garbage, adding “and as you can see the environment is neat because we always clean up and keep it for the LAWMA to pack it. We normally contribute N1,000 for each flat before the end of each month.”