Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has asked the state’s ministry of environment and relevant departments to ramp up waste evacuation across the city.
Sanwo-Olu also directed relevant agencies and service
providers to work round-the-clock in a bid to clear backlog of waste on street
corners and suburbs.
The thrumming metropolis is currently one huge refuse heap,
with home and industrial waste lining major roads and highways, from the
mainland to the island.
In a statement on Thursday, Gboyega Akosile, special adviser
to the governor on media and publicity, said government “acknowledges the
concerns of residents regarding the recent accumulation of refuse in some parts
of the state”.
Akosile said the situation is receiving utmost attention
from Sanwo-Olu and the state government, adding that residents “deserve a
clean, healthy and environmentally sustainable city”.
“We are not oblivious to the inconveniences and concerns
occasioned by the situation,” the statement reads.
“Lagosians deserve a clean, healthy and environmentally
sustainable city, and this administration remains fully committed to delivering
on that obligation.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu has consequently directed an immediate
scale-up of waste evacuation operations across the state, with relevant
agencies and service providers working round the clock to clear backlogs and
restore normalcy as quickly as possible.
“Additional resources have been deployed to support ongoing
efforts, while strategic interventions are being implemented to strengthen
operational efficiency and improve waste collection and disposal across
affected areas.
“The Governor has directed the Ministry of the Environment
and Water Resources, the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the Lagos
State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), and all other departments in
that sector to double down on their efforts.”
Akosile said the challenge of waste evacuation in the city
is “temporary” and that “substantial progress is already being recorded in
several locations”.
He appealed to residents to remain calm and patient, adding
that the state government is “pursuing a comprehensive response”.
In January, TheCable reported that major roads across
several Lagos communities have been littered with waste following the Yuletide.
TheCable had received reports that many private sector
partnership (PSP) waste collectors engaged by the Lagos Waste Management
Authority (LAWMA) have abandoned their duties.
Since January, the situation has deteriorated, with many
residents resorting to disposing waste on road medians while accusing PSP
operators of dereliction of duty.
In April, the Lagos government reintroduced the monthly
environmental sanitation exercise after a 10-year hiatus.
The state-wide clean-up by residents returned a decade after
it was suspended in November 2016 on the basis of a court ruling.
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