Environment

Waste management: Over 4,283 penalised in one year for waste related offences in Lagos

Published

2 years ago

August 11, 2022

NewsDirect

… 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.

Environment

Burna Boy legendary – Joeboy

Published

2 months ago

February 26, 2024

NewsDirect

Popular singer, Joseph Akinfenwa Donus, popularly known as Joeboy, has claimed his Grammy-winning colleague, Burna Boy, has attained legendary status in the music industry.

He made the remarks following Burna Boy’s latest groundbreaking achievement.

Burna Boy recently made history as the first African artist to sell out the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

He sold out the iconic venue back-to-back; on Saturday, February 24, and Sunday, February 25.

Reacting via his X handle, Joeboy wrote; “Burna boy is on some legendary doings.”

Meanwhile, Asake is also set to sell out the same venue in his upcoming Canadian tour.

Environment

Flooding: SEMA, others embark on early sensitization, warning of flood prone Anambra communities

Published

12 months ago

May 2, 2023

NewsDirect

ANAMBRA State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), in conjunction with the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, International Organization for Migration, IOM, and Anambra State Executive Council, ANSEC has embarked on early warning sensitization visit to flood prone communities in the state.

The flood prone communities visited include Ayamelum, Awka North, Anambra East, Anambra West, Ogbaru and Ihiala Local Government Areas, LGAs.

The Executive Secretary, SEMA, Paul Odenigbo while speaking on the visit urged the affected communities to prepare, “as this year’s flood would be slightly above normal as predicted by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Agency, NIHSA.’’

He explained that the essence of the early sensitization visit was to make sure people and communities were not caught unawares when the flood rose.

The Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, South East Zone, Ngozi Echeazu represented by Mr. Kingsley Okolo called on town planning authorities of the LGAs visited to ensure that people abide by all the flood precautionary measures when building houses.

The Chairman of Anambra West LGA, Mr. Felix Ikeji, commended the delegation for their timely sensitization and promised to ensure that the message of early flood preparation gets to the grassroots.

Blessings Okafor of Anambra State Erosion, Watersheds and Climate Change Agency, ANSEWCCA, advised the people of the flood prone areas to develop the habit of planting trees to check the menacing movement of flood waters.

A representative of International Organization for Migration, IOM, Mr. Samuel Hezekiah cautioned residents of the areas against dumping of refuse inside drainage and water channels.

Environment

NGO building an army of grassroots climate solution actors in Kaduna

Published

12 months ago

April 25, 2023

NewsDirect

An NGO, Women Initiative for Sustainable Environment (WISE), says it is building an army of grassroots climate solution actors in Kaduna State to strengthen local solutions to the global climate crisis.

WISE Founder and Programme Director, Mrs Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, made this known to the Newsmen in Kaduna on Tuesday.

Olugboji-Daramola said the climate solutions actors would be trained and empowered under the 2023 to 2024 Women Earth Alliance (WEA)-WISE Nigeria COVID-19 and Climate Resilience Programme.

She said that 30 grassroots climate solution actors would be trained in addition to the 30 earlier trained in 2022.

She said that the programme was open to leaders of women and youth organisations and groups, interested in working for renewable energy access, health, and climate resilience.

She also said that the programme was open to women and youths groups interested in profitable and scalable green micro enterprise and environmental sustainability in their communities.

“We welcome climate solutions advocates, influencers, champions, organisers and entrepreneurs who want to become climate solution actors.

“We equally want entrepreneurs, advocates and ambassadors in the areas of tree planting and growing, clean cooking technologies, renewable energy products distribution and sales,” she said.

The founder and programme director said that the selected participants would be equipped with a series of training on Green Microenterprise Development and related support.

She said that the participants would be committed to specific activities during and beyond the training period in four phases – preparation, training, follow-ups, and Implementation.

She added that the training team would provide follow-up support for each participant, as well as linkages to allied resources.

Olugboji-Daramola said that 30 grassroots women had undergone similar training in 2022 under the two-year programme funded by WEA, a United States-based NGO.

She said that WEA provides leadership, strategy, and technical training for women leaders to scale their climate and environmental initiatives and connects them to a global alliance of peers, mentors, and funders.

“The COVID-19 and Climate Resilience Programme, which began in March 2022, was designed to build the capacities of 60 women in social entrepreneurship and reusable energy within two years.

“The goal of the programme is to develop the capacity and improve income of women and youth groups while addressing climate change issues in their communities.

“This is through profitable and scalable green micro-enterprises as an action in finding solutions to climate issues,” she said.

She added that the second goal was to ensure that communities were better informed about women-led climate solutions.

This, according to her, will equip women with the needed information, knowledge and skills that will put them at the frontline of addressing environmental challenges and climate issues.

The founder said that the expectation at the end of the project was that 60 women would be generating profit through sale of at least 3,600 clean energy cookstoves and charcoal briquettes.

She added that 3,000 native trees would have been planted in two neglected public spaces and three degraded sites by the end of the project, with at least 90 per cent survival after a year of planting.

“The programme is also expected to reach 3,500 residents with information on women-led climate solutions through awareness campaigns,” she said.