By Adebola Isimijola, Lagos
The Lagos State Government has announced plans to establish a Waste Police to curb indiscriminate dumping of refuse on roads and strengthen environmental sanitation across the state.
The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this on Saturday at a meeting involving the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
The move, according to him, followed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive for the emergency evacuation of waste from roads across the state.
Osiyemi said members of the proposed Waste Police, to be drawn from transport unions in all local government areas, would monitor motor parks and their surroundings to prevent indiscriminate disposal of refuse.
“The Waste Police will monitor motor parks and their surroundings to ensure that refuse is not indiscriminately dumped,” he said.
He added that the Ministry of Transportation would commence enforcement activities to ensure motor parks and garages are properly maintained, while urging transport unions to keep their facilities clean and discourage indiscriminate trading and improper waste disposal.
The state government, through the Ministry of Transportation and LAWMA, has also partnered with NURTW and RTEAN to ensure that roads, motor parks and garages remain clean at all times.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Sam Egube, urged transport operators to partner with government in protecting transport infrastructure and tackling waste disposal challenges.
Also, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa, called on NURTW and RTEAN to take full responsibility in ensuring compliance with environmental sanitation measures in parks and garages.
In his remarks, LAWMA Managing Director, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, said effective waste management requires collective responsibility, noting that the agency evacuates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily across Lagos.
He said collaboration with transport unions, whose members move an estimated 22 million commuters daily, would help promote proper waste disposal practices, strengthen environmental monitoring and support efforts to keep roads and public spaces free of refuse.
Gbadegesin added that LAWMA would continue to work closely with the unions and leverage their presence across the state to monitor roads, motor parks and surrounding communities, while encouraging them to report cases of indiscriminate waste disposal for prompt action.
#dumping
… reposted this!