The Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, says from the first of next month, (September) it will embark on an extensive and consultative review of it’s tariffs to meet the rising cost of operations.
LAWMA’s Managing Director, Mr Ibrahim Odumboni who made this known during a chat with newsmen at the LAWMA’s Headquarters in Ijora on the activities of the Agency from the beginning of 2022 till August, recent challenges solutions as well as sustainability measures put in place said though the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration plans to support private sector participants, PSP, in the waste disposal system in the State with fuel subsidy, the review of waste disposal tariff had become imperative.
Mr Odumboni stated that poor attitude to waste management, heavy rainfall, and particularly the recent cost of diesel have posed huge challenges to the cost of operation and announced that PSP operators and residents associations would be allowed to fix increase in tariff for domestic waste which LAWMA had pegged at fifty percent maximum.
He said “PSP, CDA/CDC and LAWMA will take part in the review process, we want to appeal to tenements, the quicker we resolve this, the better it will be for us, in terms of the percentage 50% increase, in some cases, it might be lesser than that because waste is dependent on your individual lifestyles, the key things we face as challenges for the PSP, the first of it is the rising cost of operation, the cost of overheads, majorly diesel, and spare parts for those trucks that PSP use”
He stated that while some operators have already converted their trucks to dual fuel to minimize costs, the LAWMA Chief Executive Officer announced that from the first of October this year, abatement notices would be issued to houses without waste disposal bins.
Explaining that Lagosians do not necessarily need to have smart bins, the LAWMA boss however emphasized that in the best interest of all, residents must keep their wastes in containers pending it’s evacuation by disposal trucks.
Mr Odumboni hinted that in the nearest future, the Agency intends to operate a two-bin system whereas one bin would be for recyclables and the other for organic waste.
Mr Odumboni warned that the bin system would also be applied to markets and recalcitrant person’s would be prosecuted.
The LAWMA boss revealed that eighty three persons were jailed for waste related offences last year, while more than one thousand others were also sentenced to community services.
“83 people were jailed last year from waste related offences. Over 1,200 did community services – they joined our sweepers to sweep and do the job very well and over 3,000 were fined. But the most important thing, for us is why don’t we ensure we do the right thing.
“For people out there, who continue to migrate and dump waste indiscriminately, we have cameras placed at specific points, we are also working with the Neighbourhood corps, any time you are caught, you will be held responsible and will face the wrath of the law,” he said.
In his remarks, the President of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Mr David Oriyomi who thanked the Lagos State Government for its numerous interventions, also promised continued support to LAWMA in the quest of ensuring a cleaner Lagos.
