Waste management: Over 4,283 penalised in one year for waste related offences in Lagos
… 83 jailed, 3,000 fined, 1,200 penalised to sweep
…Gov’t to give fuel subsidy to PSP operators
…State, operators, to review waste tariff by 50% over high cost of diesel, other operational cost
By Moses Adeniyi
No less than 4,283 persons have been meted with penalties having found guilty of committing various forms of offences relating to indiscriminate disposal of waste in Lagos, in the last one year.
This is just as the State Government has disclosed sustainability measures to keep operations of waste management processes abreast with rising challenges.
The breakdown of the figure include 83 persons who were convicted and jailed, over 1,200 penalised for sweeping and over 3,000 fined – all for waste related offences.
In a press briefing on Wednesday on the state of affairs on waste management in Lagos, updates on activities from the beginning of 2022 till August, recent challenges solutions and sustainability measures put in place by the Agency, the MD/CEO, Lagos State Waste Management Authority, (LAWMA) Ibrahim Odumboni, said the prosecution of the offenders was necessitated to deter bad culture to waste management.
“83 people were jailed last year from waste related offences. Over 1,200 did community services – they joined our sweepers to sweep and do the job very well and over 3,000 were fined. But the most important thing, for us is why don’t we ensure we do the right thing.
“For people out there, who continue to migrate and dump waste indiscriminately, any time you are caught, you would be held responsible and would face the wrath of the law,” he said.
According to him, the Enforcement team set up by the agency has become very active, and have ceased over 1,400 carts across the state in the last two months “To ensure a much more formal, agreeable and consistent system of Waste is introduced into our society.”
Odumboni said truck pushers are guilty of dumping waste in carnals and drainage systems, causing menace of drainage blockages informing floods.
He said, having extended hands of fellowship to cart pushers on how they can work with the agency to formalise their operations, the agency would not take it lightly with those who kick against the hands of fellowship and rules of engagement.
“For any one who does not have an identity, who pose security threats to the state, who refuses to follow the law and put the lives of Lagosians in danger, there is going to be zero-tolerance on that and so, we would continue in our operations to get rid of cart pushers in Lagos,” he said.
He frowned at mischievous offenders who inflict attacks on workers and facilities of the agency, saying it has fostered engagement with law enforcement agents to bring culprits to book.
The LAWMA Boss said the agency is now working with LASTMA, the neighborhood watch and other security agencies to prosecute those cut on the live time metropolitan cameras across the state.
He said mischievous resorts has been observed from people who migrate and dump waste indiscriminately.
Mentioning that each of the over 20million residents of the state generate a minimum of 0.65kg, averaging 13,000 metric tonnes, in all demanding no less than 650 heavy-duty trucks to evacuate them, he said the agency has been straightened to the task to ensure “delivering excellent services with the aim of clearing every thing on daily basis.”
According to him, poor attitudes to waste management, recent rainfall, and particularly the recent cost of diesel have posed huge challenges to the cost of operation.
He mentioned that while the number of PSP trucks operating in the state have been upscaled under the present Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration from about 627 to over 1,100, higher than those of New York, about 150 of which are operated by LAWMA, he lamented that the rising cost of diesel from the 1st quarter of this year, has posed huge challenges for operators.
“Of the key things we face as challenges for the PSP, the first of it is the rising cost of operation, the cost of overheads, majorly diesel, and spare parts for those trucks that PSP use,” he said.
He disclosed that with the reality, a tariff review is under consideration, mentioning that the pricing review to commence 1st October this year with critical engagement with stakeholders, is projected for about 50 per cent increase, which he said would however be variable subject to peculiar circumstances.
“Also, we are in the process of extensive and consultative pricing review for PSP services that will offer in household, knowing fully well that we are trying to recognise the economic trend in Nigeria, but we are trying to ensure that we are not introducing any change that will automatically disenfranchise people and cause the menace of Waste in our immediate society,” he said.
On effort to meet up with changing demands such as rising cost of diesel and the demands of clean energy, he disclosed the agency has commenced processes of duel fuel system for trucks, disclosing that two trucks had already been converted to dual fuel system – 50 per cent diesel and 50 per cent gas for efficiency.
He said overhauling the fleets of trucks for dual system running on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and diesel, is in view so that ‘We can have a cheaper and better way of energy for climate change,’ and also in line with rising cost of diesel.
“We are going to be looking at CNG powered trucks as well, so that we can use that consistently to manage the target of climate change and environment, and reduce cost,” he said.
He lamented the cost of diesel, which 100 per cent of trucks runs on, have increased overhead cost by about 300 per cent impacting negatively on the running cost of the PSP operators.
