The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has promised to remove all 42 illegal dumpsites discovered around FESTAC Town and the entire Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area.
LAWMA said that energy and resources would be directed towards removing all illegal dumpsites within the council, to prevent any possible outbreak of disease.
The Managing Director of LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni, made the promise at a stakeholders’ meeting with residents and interest groups during the agency’s community clean-up campaign, at the Amuwo-Odofin council secretariat in FESTAC Town.
While assuring total removal of refuse at the illegal dumpsites within a couple of weeks, Odumboni appealed for residents’ cooperation and an immediate attitudinal change to waste management and environmental care.
Odumboni, who frowned at the poor environmental hygiene of the residents, stressed that the situation should not be allowed to continue for a community once known as the cleanest in the state.
“There are no fewer than 42 dumpsites in Amuwo-Odofin. This place is extremely dirty. You are only concerned about cleaning your houses, while the waste is deposited outside, littering the environment; causing diseases and sickness to others.
“It is about time you stop giving excuses and do the right thing. I want to let you know that enforcement is going to be beefed up in the next three weeks, we will apprehend any environmental defaulter engaging in indiscriminate dumping and cart pushing business”.
The LAWMA boss added: “You need to mobilize your youths and empower them to police the black spots within the community. Invite the youths and have a bye-law to back their operation.
According to him, LAWMA will support you by training them. Get them uniform for identification and let them arrest outlawed cart pushers. It is high time we do the right thing by taking responsibility for our waste. Patronize PSPs and pay for waste service. Waste bill payment is sacrosanct.”
The waste management boss urged the council to engage youths for monitoring of black spots, as a measure to end the reign of illegal dumpsites within the local government.
He further advised the council officials and residents to consider the idea of voluntary monthly environmental sanitation, as recently endorsed by Shomolu Local Government, for total transformation.
Odumboni stressed that these strategies, if adhered to by residents, would bring a local solution to the perennial problem and prevent any disease outbreak within the council.
The Amuwo-Odofin Chairman, Dr. Valentine Buraimon, promised to help the agency return FESTAC Town and the entire Amuwo-Odofin, to the old glory of beauty, neatness, and sustainable environment.
Also speaking, the Iyaloja of Omotanwa Market, FESTAC Town, Atinuke Shittu, appealed to market people and residents, to sort their waste for recycling, to reduce the volume of waste meant for landfills, and to make money.
The Secretary-General of FESTAC Town Residents Association, Justice Unanka, advised the PSP operators to change their tactics and business approach, to earn revenue more easily from residents.
In attendance were: the Vice-Chairman of the council, Maureen Ashara; Managing Director of AM Protection and Security Services, Adebisi Adeniyi; Executive Director, Finance of LAWMA, Kunle Adebiyi; Chief Technical Officer of LAWMA, Dr. Olorunwa Tijani, and many senior LAWMA officials.
