Sanwo-Olu orders round-the-clock waste evacuation to clear refuse backlog across Lagos

The governor announced the directive on Thursday, saying the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ministry of Environment had been mobilised to address the situation. The post Lagos Refuse Crisis: Sanwo-Olu orders emergency waste evacuation after PREMIUM TIMES report appeared first on Premium Times Nigeria.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has ordered an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation operations across the state following growing concerns over the accumulation of refuse in several areas. The Lagos State Government, in a statement issued on Thursday by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, acknowledged the concerns of residents and assured Lagosians […] Sanwo-Olu orders immediate cleanup as refuse piles up in Lagos

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.

Governor Sanwo-Olu orders immediate waste evacuation across Lagos to address refuse accumulation. Learn about the state’s efforts to restore sanitation. Read More: https://punchng.com/sanwo-olu-orders-immediate-evacuation-of-waste-across-lagos/