Residents condemn PSP operators epileptic services

Operation of private waste collectors, popularly called Private Sectors Participants (PSP) on waste collection, have come under strong condemnation in some part of Lagos State, as they have been accused of inefficiency and rip-off.

The Guardian learnt that areas like Egbeda, Abule-Egba, Ekoro, Ile-Epo/Oja, Iyana-Ipaja, Pleasure, Abule Taylor, Ahmadiyya, Ijaiye and Dopemu, among others, within the Lagos metropolis are suffering in silence.

Against the normal practice of weekly evacuation of refuse, to achieve efficient waste management, it may take them three weeks to a month, at times to perform their duties. This, on many occasions has led to disagreement between the operators and residents, based on the former’s usual practice of ensuring that residents pay for the period in question.

It was observed that streets of the affected areas are always dirty, as the points of refuse evacuation situated in each of the houses are always littered with dirt.

Residents have now been forced to seek alternative means of disposing their wastes, either by engaging the services of truck pushers at an extra cost or dispose them indiscriminately on the express road or the median.

This, The Guardian learnt has led to refusal of some houses to pay for their period of inactivity, leading to accumulation of debts.

According to one of the affected residents, Segun Adejobi, from their mode of operation, it was discovered that the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) issued them licences of operation without ensuring they have the necessary equipment, capital, experience and wherewithal to operate maximally.

He based his observation on the fact that some of the PSP operators are operating with only one truck for about five communities and immediately the truck develops any fault, the areas would have to suffer till they put it back in good shape.

One aggrieved resident, Madam Bukola Odunola, who lives in Taiwo Bashorun Street, Ekoro area of Abule-Egba, was furious that after three weeks of non-appearance, the PSP operator in the area-FUMAB Nigeria Enterprises, refused to evacuate their waste, with the excuse that they owed the previous month.

To make the matter worse, some houses that attempted to stop the services of the refuse managers, were told by the operators that it was not possible, as all attempts to get LAWMA to check their excesses were unsuccessful.

When The Guardian contacted FUMAB Nigeria Enterprises on phone, a woman who claimed to be the head of the place, Oluwamayowa Johnson, said the major challenge facing them is the inability of their trucks to dispose refuse at designated dump sites, which may take them days to achieve.

She noted that the other problem they faced was the issue of their driver who absconded, which led them to seek for new driver, a situation which hampered their operation for weeks.

But despite her plea, The Guardian learnt the PSP operator, penalised many houses for refusal to pay, as they never see it as their fault.

Several calls made across to the LAWMA office were not picked, even a text message sent on the issue has not been replied as at the time of filing this report.