Waste managers pledge to rid Lagos of refuse

Piqued by the resurgence of waste in Lagos metropolis, the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWAM), yesterday pledged improved services to ensure a cleaner Lagos.Chairman of the association, Alhaji Oladipo Egbeyemi, disclosed this at a rally to drum support for Mr. Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

At the rally organized by Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators in conjunction with Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) at Agege Stadium, Egbeyemi noted that waste management witnessed deterioration in the state because of a recent policy summersault. He stressed that the association’s decision to support Sanwoolu is in the best interest of the environment since Sanwoolu has promised to take waste management to the next level in the state.

Egbeyemi, who assured that the association would mobilize 500,000 votes for Sanwoolu, stressed that the association will improve on its services after the election and graduate from waste collection to recycling of waste. He also assured that the incoming government has plans to build engineered landfill in place of the existing dumpsites, which will improve waste collection and transform its waste-to-wealth programme.

According to him with the coming of the new government, waste management will improve while the difficulties associated witnessed by street sweepers will be a thing of the past.

In his remarks at the event attended by the MD/COO of LAWMA, Dr. Ola Oreasanya, and former Lagos Commissioner of the Environment, Dr Babatunde Adejare, the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, stressed the need for the electorate to support APC and all its candidates because the party had demonstrated good governance.

In his remarks, Sanwoolu, who was represented by his running mate, Dr. Femi Hamzat, urged Lagosians to shun thuggery but mobilize votes for the party rather than fighting, as Lagos is a home for many ethnic groups.