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LAWMA firm-up strategy on waste management, mulls 50% tariff jerk up
The Managing Director/CEO of Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, has said that the agency was working on the creation of Transfer Loading Stations (TLS), in all the local government areas of the state, for fast and smooth evacuation of waste around the metropolis.
According to him several innovative strategies had been put in place to rejig the operational capability of the agency, for maximum efficiency.
Odumboni, made this assertion at a media parley, at the Authority’s headquarters, adding that the event provided a platform for the agency to inform the public on efforts geared towards tackling the daunting waste challenges in Lagos.
He highlighted the various gains made in the area of establishing environmental sustainability and clearing backlogs of waste generated in the metropolis, adding that the Authority was working assiduously to resolve prevalent challenges, through on-going day and night operations.
The LAWMA boss said the Authority was working with PSP operators to resolve some of the issues affecting their operation, especially the price of diesel, which rose by over 100% within the current year, adding that most of their operational vehicles run on diesel.
“One of the challenges we had was the rise in the cost of operation. We estimate by now that there are over 1,000 PSP trucks in Lagos and LAWMA has over 150 supporting trucks. Most of these trucks make use of diesel to operate, and the rise in the cost of diesel greatly affected the operations of PSPs in the state. Through the support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we will be having additional subsidy for PSP operators in areas where we have such challenges”, he stated.
He said the Authority would work with Community Development Associations (CDAs) and Community Development Committees (CDCs), as well as PSP operators, to review waste management charges in the state, in line with the present economic reality, adding that there would be wide consultation before the new tariff regime.
“The current economic reality in the country has made it necessary for price increase in waste management charges. To this effect, we will be increasing waste bills by 50%. We will also work with CDAs/CDCs and the PSPs, to review the charges and ensure proper implementation of the new tariff”, he noted.
He appealed to residents to procure bins to containerise their waste, noting that owning a bin would go a long way in tackling the problem of indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that it is mandatory for all tenements in the state to have a container for storage of their waste.
“Majority of households don’t have a bin, we continue to appeal to residents to procure waste bins to containerise their waste, for temporary storage, before evacuation by assigned PSP operators. It’s important for us all to have a bin of some sort. Let us teach our kids how better to behave. It’s mandatory for you as a household to have a bin. From the 1st of October, if you don’t have a bin, you can be prosecuted”, he stated.
He reiterated the ban on cart pushing, adding that the surge in waste dumping on roads and other unauthorised locations, resulted from people’s patronage of cart pushers, who dump waste indiscriminately in the metropolis, adding that the agency would integrate willing cart pushers into the state’s waste management system.
The LAWMA helmsman hinted of imminent establishment of a “bottle-to-bottle” recycling centre, in partnership with a private company who would source their raw materials from the plastic waste generated across the metropolis, emphasising that Lagos would soon become the hub of recycling in West Africa.
He further said that the agency planned to set up 30 recycling centres across the state, by the end of the year, to boost the Lagos recycling initiative, which apart from its economic benefits, would mitigate the challenge of plastic pollution.
Odumboni noted that the Authority, through the support of the state government, had completed the rehabilitation of landfills in the state, to shorten turn-around time, for refuse evacuation and disposal, by waste collection trucks across the state.
“I can confirm to you that through the support of the state government, we have rehabilitated landfills in the state, to facilitate seamless waste evacuation and disposal. PSP trucks can now dump their wastes at the landfills without any hindrance. The impact of this development will be felt in the metropolis within five to seven days,” he said.
The president of Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN), Mr. David Oriyomi, said the price of diesel negatively affected their operation, but thanked the governor for the subsidy offered to PSP operators, stating the need for a review of service charges, in line with current economic reality.