The Managing Director/CEO of Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has challenged households in Lagos Island to acquire waste bins, for proper keeping and easy evacuation of their waste.
He threw the challenge during a stakeholder meeting on Tuesday, April 5, 2022, organised by LAWMA, at Lagos Island West Local Government, Iso, Onigari, where he insisted that the real headache behind waste mess around the Island, was the lack of waste bins in respective homes.
Odumboni said that if residents had waste bins in every home, properly containerising their waste, it would prevent litters which is common sight in Lagos Island, and enable easy evacuation.
The LAWMA helmsman said: “The problem with waste management on the island here is non availability of waste bins in households. If you have waste bins, you can properly containerize your waste and there will be no litters everywhere. It will make evacuation easy and everywhere will be clean. Lagos Island cannot be left this way, we have to make a change.”
He said it was not mandatory to purchase LAWMA bins, but just ensure you have any bin to properly package their waste.
Responding, the council hinted of the recruitment of youths as drainage guards to clear the drainage channels around the Island, adding that it was a way of empowering the youths and keeping the environment clean.
“We have recruited youths here as drainage guards to clear our gutters. This will help to frequently desilt the drainage channels and improve our environment. We are also appealing to the government to help find a lasting solution to environmental pollution,” he concluded.
LAWMA’s Executive Director, Finance, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, and the Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Olorunwa Tijani, both enjoined residents to enhance environment-friendly habit and stop patronizing cart pushers.
The Community Development Committee chairman for Lagos Island West, Chief Abu Elemoro, commended LAWMA for the stakeholders’ meeting, calling for a continuation of such consultation, to arrest the people’s attention.
Also present were Iyaloja General, Lagos Island West; Alhaja Rasikat Abeje Lasisi, supervisor for the environment; Alhaji Audu Atanda, AGM performance management; Mrs. Tawa Oyekanmi, AGM west district; and Mr. Akinwale Adeshina, among others.