Approves mechanised sweeping of coastal highways

Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday stepped down the confirmation of two out of the five nominees forwarded by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for appointment into the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), citing the need for further scrutiny.

The two nominees, whose confirmations were put on hold, are Durosimi Yinka and Seriki Ahmed.

However, the House cleared and confirmed three other nominees: former Chairman of Itire/Ikate LCDA, Hakeem Bamgbola; former Chairman of Isolo LCDA, Olaleye Samsudeen, and the immediate past Vice Chairman of Ikorodu Local Council, Olabanji Folashade.

In a separate deliberation during the session, the House approved the deployment of mechanised sweeping operations along Section 1 of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway.

The lawmakers firmly resolved that modern cleaning technology must operate alongside manual sweepers to prevent job losses.

Chairman of the 12-member ad-hoc screening committee, Mojeed Fatai Adebola (Ibeju-Lekki I), while presenting the report during plenary, stated that all the five candidates appeared before the panel for evaluation.

He noted that the committee evaluated the nominees in line with Sections 106 and 192 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other relevant statutory laws, as well as focusing on the candidates’ credentials, track record, character, presentation, and general performance during questioning.

Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, following the presentation, put the committee’s recommendations to a voice vote, and the lawmakers voted to adopt the report, stepping down the two nominees while approving the other three.

The lawmakers, however, firmly resolved that modern cleaning technology must operate alongside manual sweepers to prevent job losses.

The resolution followed the adoption of a report presented by the House ad-hoc committee chaired by Olumoh S. L. (Ajeromi-Ifelodun) regarding an Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO) in favour of BlueCap Technology Limited for the sweeping project.

Olumoh, while presenting the report, explained that officials from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), led by the Managing Director, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, informed the committee that manual sweeping alone is no longer adequate for high-density corridors.

The lawmakers, while supporting the initiative as a step toward modernising environmental sanitation and improving road safety, expressed concern over the social and economic impact on street sweepers.

Obasa stressed that the welfare of local workers, particularly women who depend on street sweeping as a primary source of income, must remain a priority.

The House, in addition to safeguarding jobs, asked for clearer financial details regarding the repayment structure and recovery process of the proposed ISPO to ensure the state avoids unnecessary financial exposure.

Besides, the Assembly recommended that the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget capture outstanding financial commitments in upcoming fiscal budgets.