The Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has destroyed more than 400 carts, confiscated from pushers, who serially dump waste at unauthorised locations across the city, in clear violation of the state's environmental laws.
Commenting on the exercise which took place at LAWMA's Ogudu facility, the Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, stated that the exercise which would be a continuous one became necessary to weaken the ability of the cart pushers to return to business and to decimate the cart population defacing the cityscape, stressing that the activities of cart pushers across the Lagos metropolis remained banned.
He observed that cart pushers posed a threat not only to
environmental sustainability but to the security of residents, as many cart
pushers harbour dangerous weapons like knives, machetes and others, to
perpetrate criminal activities.
According to him, "Cart pushers are about the biggest
threat to our effort at attaining environmental sustainability. We will not
allow anyone or a 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
pushers was tried and jailed last week, having been apprehended at Victoria
Island, vandalising and stealing the government's iron rods. There have been many
reported theft cases of movable items from people's compounds traced to
them".
The LAWMA boss disclosed that opportunity was open for
repentant cart-pushers, to step forward, get registered with LAWMA, be given
proper orientation, and be trained as pickers and off-takers of recyclables,
working hand in hand with other stakeholders in the waste management chain.
Odumboni maintained that the government was not interested in
taking away their means of livelihood, which has to be within the
confines of the law.
The LAWMA boss reaffirmed the agency's total commitment to
making the State's city space an environment-friendly one, urging residents to
join the Authority's quest for a cleaner Lagos by shunning improper waste
disposal and paying their waste bills and patronising assigned PSP operators.
Also commenting, the president of the Association of Waste
Managers of Nigeria, AWAMN, Mr. David Oriyomi, lauded the government's constant
support for the association, promising a new era of fruitful collaboration with
LAWMA.
Present were LAWMA's Executive Director of Finance, Mr. Kunle
Adebiyi; Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Olohunwa Tijani; Head, Enforcement Unit,
Mr. Idowu Sanni; and other stakeholders.
Folashade Kadiri (Mrs.)
Director, Public Affairs
LAWMA
23rd May, 2022
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