‘Many Don’t Pay For Waste Disposal’ — Waste Managers Ask LAWMA To Enforce Payment

Waste managers have asked LAWMA to enforce payment for waste disposal.

Eko Hot Blog reports that Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAMN) has called on the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) to enforce the payment for the disposal of waste in Lagos State.

The association’s National President, Mr. Olugbenga Adebola, made the call after some Lagos residents decried the heaps of refuse on some major roads around the state without prompt evacuation.

The residents who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday urged LAWMA to evacuate the refuse.

However, the AWAMN national president blamed uncooperative residents for the delay in waste evacuation.

According to Mr. Adebola, many tenements cultivate the habit of indiscriminate waste disposal after refusing to pay for their waste.

He, therefore, urged Nigerians, particularly Lagosians, to patronise PSP operators assigned to their areas for seamless waste evacuation.

“Many tenements don’t pay for their wastes thus cultivating the habit of indiscriminate waste disposal and this is posing great environmental danger to the environment,” the top waste manager said.

“If you pay, then you can call the attention of the government or your PSP operators directly to say ‘I have not seen my PSP, and because many people do not pay, that is why they are dodging, that is why they will continue to litter the area, and it is only through enforcement that they come alive to their duty.”

Some PSP operators, who spoke with Eko Hot Blog, also echoed their national president’s statement, urging LAWMA to intensify enforcement measures to ensure prompt payment for waste evacuation services.

They noted that waste managers cannot evacuate refuse when the owners are refusing to pay for them.

The waste management operators, therefore, urged residents to change their attitude and ensure proper disposal of their waste through waste managers.

Risk of Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards

Waste disposal is a common issue in many cities, including Lagos. It can lead to environmental pollution, health hazards, and other negative impacts.

Meanwhile, a businesswoman, Ibukun Cole, while speaking to NAN, said residents could avoid littering by disposing of their wastes properly.

“I think we really need to be more enlightened on the dangers of improper waste disposal. It will interest you to know that some people even dispose of waste in the gutters especially when it rains.

“I feel there should be a form of community clean-up and awareness programmes in every area to ensure people know the dangers of indiscriminate refuse dump,” Cole said.

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