LAWMA destroys another 600 carts, vows to punish environmental offenders

By Flourish Alonge

Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), on Tuesday, destroyed over 600 carts seized from illegal cart pushers across the state, bringing the total number of carts that had been seized and destroyed to about 1000 in less than two months since the clamp down started.

Presenting the carts to the LAWMA management team, led by the MD/CEO, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, Head of the Authority’s Enforcement Unit, Mr. Idowu Sanni, said the carts were seized during their routine patrol and monitoring exercise.

In his statement, Mr. Odumboni who was represented by the Director of Finance, Mr. Kunle Adebiyi, noted that the seizure and subsequent destruction of the carts had clearly demonstrated the position of the Lagos State government on solid waste management.

He said the agency would continue to enforce Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s zero-tolerance for indiscriminate dumping of waste, which he mentioned, was highly perpetuated by cart pushers.

Odumboni added that as far as solid waste management was concerned, LAWMA was making tremendous progress and would not relent until illegal cart pushers were completely removed from the state.

Furthermore, he stated that the exercise which was expected to be a continual one would serve as a deterrent to others who were planning to join in the business.

On his part, Chief Technical Officer (CTO), LAWMA, Dr. Olohunwa Tijani expressed his concern over the unrelenting attitude of some residents who would rather patronise cart pushers than assigned PSP operators.

He said such residents were the reason why the business of illegal cart pushing still strives.

“We have allocated PSPs to all nook and crannies of the state. Presently we have over 400 PSPs deployed to cover all streets and corners of the state. But unfortunately, the attitude of the people is still one of the areas LAWMA is making efforts to change.

“With the last administration, residents were encouraged to dump their waste by the roadside for the government to evacuate. We are now in a new dispensation, so this attitude must change. The people must learn to take responsibility for their waste,” he said.