Residents lament extortion, urges Sanwo-Olu, LAWMA intervention

A group under the aegis of Concerned Residents of Oshodi Mafoluku Shogunle and Ewu-Titun communities yesterday urged the Lagos State Government to intervene in the matter of illegal fees imposed on them by the Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators in waste management in their areas.

Specifically, the communities alleged illegal extortion by Excellence Links and TUNAP PSP operators, which has resulted in rancour in some areas.

The Chairman of the group, Babatunde Faleye stated that the issue started in May 2021 when the operators made an “illegal” increase between 125 per cent and 750 per cent depending on the category of structure.

He said: “ Using rooms billing as an example, each room was increased from N200 to N450 and again, by November 2022 another illegal increase of between 100 per cent – 1,000 per cent was made also depending on the category of structure, putting the already illegally

inflated rate of N450 to N900 per room. Meanwhile, residents at Isolo, a constituency under the same local government as us, pay between N300 – N400 per room.

“This act is considered illegal as the only official increase advised by the Lagos State Regulators LAWMA was a 50 per cent notice on all rates. All appeals from the community and State Leaders to the operators proved abortive. They even bullied the community by reporting four active community members, myself included to FCID Alagbon with claims that we damaged their properties and threatened their lives. Upon visitation, the senior officer in charge looked through all documentation submitted and asked that we be immediately released and the petitioner invited.

“After deliberate efforts we were assigned another PSP operators, which are Esosom, Bucklad and Peratech in our communities and after negotiations, the rate of N500 per room as against N800, N600 per shop as against N1,000, N750 per mini flat as against N1,750, N1,000 per flat as against N2,000 and N1,500 per duplex as against N3,500 was agreed upon.

“But, to our dismay the old operators have been harassing the new ones and scheming to chase them away. We want the government’s intervention.”