The enforcement unit of the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has apprehended 30 suspects caught engaging in indiscriminate waste disposal at various locations in Ipaja and Ikate-Surulere areas of the state.
Managing Director, LAWMA, Ibrahim Odumboni, who disclosed this, yesterday, said the suspects, who were arrested during enforcement operations across the state would soon be prosecuted.
Odunmboni added that the LAWMA team also dismantled shanties and illegal structures in the process.
The LAWMA boss said: “In the past few days, the LAWMA enforcement team has been routinely patrolling neighborhoods across the state, notorious for illegal refuse dumping and the presence of scavengers, rummaging through waste piles, contributing to littering and unsightly landscapes and public spaces.”
“The activities of scavengers and miscreants not only deface our cities but also pose serious health hazards to residents. It is disheartening to see some individuals engaging in indiscriminate disposal because they do not want to pay for waste services.
“This behaviour undermines the efforts of LAWMA and hampers our progress towards maintaining a clean and healthy environment.”
Odunmboni stressed the need for residents to take responsibility for their waste and participate actively in proper waste management practices.
He urged them to utilise services of Private Sector Participants, PSP, operators, to ensure scheduled collection of their waste, as well as taking advantage of various waste recycling initiatives introduced by the authority.
He said: “To achieve a cleaner and healthier city, it is crucial for residents to play their part in waste management. LAWMA, through PSP operators, is working relentlessly to ensure efficient waste collection services, and we urge residents to take advantage of these services.
“By properly sorting and disposing of waste, we can establish a better quality of life for everyone.”
Odumboni stated further, that the agency had continued to embark on awareness campaigns alongside the enforcement operations, to educate residents on the importance of proper waste management, adding that the advocacy drive included community engagements, door-to-door visits, among others. (Vanguard)