SDP guber candidate seeks review of waste management system

The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has blamed Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration for the worsening waste management crisis in the state, describing the exit of the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, as evidence of administrative failure.

The party, in a statement yesterday, signed by its Publicity Secretary, Christopher Odianarewo, said the development vindicated its repeated warnings about environmental degradation and the accumulation of refuse across major roads, residential areas, markets and drainage channels.

It accused the state government of relying on publicity campaigns and temporary sanitation exercises instead of addressing what it described as systemic failures in waste management.

The PDP also raised concerns about the public health risks associated with decomposing refuse, blocked drainage systems and the stench reportedly affecting neighbourhoods in the state.

It alleged that the situation had increased residents’ exposure to preventable diseases and heightened the risk of flooding during rainfall, while faulting the government for failing to establish an effective and sustainable waste disposal system.

The opposition party said replacing the LAWMA chief executive would not resolve the crisis without broader institutional reforms, improved efficiency and long-term planning.

It, therefore, called on Sanwo-Olu to take responsibility for the state’s environmental challenges and ensure effective waste management.

ALSO, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in Lagos State, Femi Olaniyi-Ferrari, has called for a comprehensive review of the state’s waste management system amid concerns over refuse disposal in parts of the state.

Olaniyi-Ferrari gave the charge yesterday in Lagos while reacting to a media report that Sanwo-Olu had asked Gbadegesin to resign over waste management challenges.

He said the situation required a holistic assessment of waste collection, transportation, disposal and recycling, rather than focusing solely on the leadership of the agency.

According to him, reports of refuse accumulation in some communities had raised concerns about sanitation, public health and the environment, including the operations of Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators, disposal facilities and recycling infrastructure.

The SDP candidate identified prompt payment to PSP operators, provision of adequate operational equipment and effective management of disposal facilities as areas requiring urgent attention.

He also called for a sustainable policy framework to encourage recycling and convert waste to economic opportunities.

Olaniyi-Ferrari proposed the decentralisation of LAWMA’s operations into five regional hubs, supported by transfer loading stations, to improve waste collection and transportation.

He said the state government should consider providing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered compactors to PSP operators to enhance efficiency and ensure cleaner waste transportation.