A legal practitioner, Mr David Fatile, has called on some residents of communities in Oshodi area of Lagos State to obey court order on waste disposal tariff.
Fatile, a solicitor to Mr David Oriyomi, the Managing Director (MD), Excellens Links International Company, a waste management company, made the call in Oshodi during a news briefing.
He said that few group of individuals, not up to 0.1 per cent of the Oshodi communities’ residents had continued to breach court’s order, by maligning his client – Oriyomi, and his business – Excellens Links International Company.
The solicitor noted that the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in 2022 increased waste tariffs across the state.
He said the increment was necessitated due to the cost of diesel and foreign exchange, coupled with some operational costs.
Fatile added that, in 2022, about six individuals filed a suit against Excellens Links and Tunap Company, both PSP operators servicing Oshodi environs, on the ground of increase in waste disposal tariff.
”LAWMA has to effect increase in waste tariff and my client being one of the franchisee of LAWMA, effected this increase in Oshodi community.
“So, it is this increase that these individuals, about five or six of them, led by Engr. Babatunde Faleye filed an action in court,” Fatile said.
According to him, on Dec. 18, 2023, the court strike out the suit, with the prayer that the claimants shall not use the social media to campaign against the business of the third and fourth defendants – Excellens Links International Company and Tunap Company.
He said the court also awarded the sum of N100,000; N50,000 each to the third and fourth defendants, as compensation for filing processes and appearing in court.
”Since Dec. 18, 2023, these individuals, which represent 0.1 per cent in the community, and claim that they filed the case on behalf of the resident of Oshodi, Mafoluku, Shogunle and Ewu-tuntun, have engaged in campaign of calumny against the business of my client.
”My client is very peaceful person, I have asked him that let’s file a contempt proceedings against these individuals, but he said I shouldn’t worry myself that they are his clients, they are his customers and that the matter will be resolved.
”So, I want to appeal to Engr. Faleye, and his co-labourers that they should respect the order of the court.
“The order of the court is very, very clear. Do not engage in social media campaign against the business of Excellens.
”This man has been granting press interview, has gone to social media; gone on WhatsApp; in fact the one that angered me was the posts sent to me by my client, asking the residents of Oshodi that they should not pay for waste bill for the months of January and February, circulating it in his social media.
”So, I want to appeal to Engr. Fatile not to engage in media campaign against the business of my client.
“If he does, we are going to initiate a contempt proceeding against him in particular, and all those who are his co-labourers,” the lawyer said.
On his part, Oriyomi, the MD of Excellens Links, said that in 2022, the price of diesel went up from N225 to N700 per litre, adding the it had even risen to N1,250 per litre presently.
He said this necessitated the regulatory body – LAWMA, to increase the waste disposal tariff from N450 to N900 per room; N1,250 to N2,000 per flat; and N2,500 to N3,600 per duplex.
Oriyomi said with the intervention from the Chairman, Lagos House of Assembly Committee on Environment and Parastatals, Mr Desmond Elliot, the fee was reduced by N100 across board.
By Chinyere Omeire
