Residents of Lafenwa community in Ado-Odo, Ota Local Council of Ogun State have lamented improper waste disposal and management in their community.

Lamenting their ordeal, a 73-year-old woman, Mrs. Florence Oliseh, said residents now resort to burning their waste due to absence of the state’s waste management agency.

According to her, she has in the past three years been burning her waste or dumping them on the roadside.

Another resident, Mr Lukman Aremu, said they have no other way to dispose of their waste than burning or dumping them indiscriminately, thereby increasing chances of epidemic in the area.

Adenuga, who is an official of the Community Development Area (CDA), said they have tried to contact government officials to help them but all to no avail.

He appealed to the state government to find a lasting solution to the hazard of indiscriminate dumping of waste and improper management of solid waste in their community.

Reacting, Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, pleaded with residents in the area to exercise patience as the state will soon come out with a permanent solution to waste challenges in the area and the entire state.

He said: “The waste management programme in Ogun state is work in progress, we started from the urban centres and we are going gradually into the rural areas.”

Oresanya said there has been visible improvement and changes in urban areas, stressing that the ministry has started working with CDA chairmen to address the challenge.