The Lagos State government says plans are underway to shut down the Olusosun dumpsite to create ‘sanity’ in the area.
The commissioner for environment and water resources, Tunji Bello, said Thursday during a press briefing to mark the second anniversary of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration that alternative dumpsites would be created.
“Olusosun is our largest dumpsite, it takes almost 65 per cent of the wastes that are collected in Lagos,” said Mr. Bello.
“We have a plan to shut down Olusoun maybe about two years’ time because of the visibility when you are entering Lagos, also to create sanity around the area and suppress the holdup,” he said in response to a question.
Three years ago, Sanwo-Olu’s predecessor, Akinwunmi Ambode, also announced plans to close the dumpsite, after a fire incident destroyed buses belonging to a transport firm and grounded vehicular traffic for hours.
“There is ongoing massive rehabilitation of Olusosun and Solous dumpsites and there have been rehabilitation/upgrading of access roads at the landfill sites, leading to reduced turn-around at the dumpsite,” Mr. Bello said, adding that the current administration has restored the state’s environmental agencies within two year of his administration.
He noted that the agencies had “degenerated” before Mr. Sanwo-Olu came into office.
He also said the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has created over 30,000 job opportunities during the period under review.
“LAWMA has successfully increased the number of trips completed daily at landfills from 357 to 850 on the average,” Mr. Bello continued.
“We have witnessed the growth of PSPs from 350 to 437. The period has also seen the acquisition of 210 new Compactors by the PSPs who have also employed over 8,200 people.
“There is also a potential of 6,000 new jobs in recycling but currently averaging 4,000 for both formal and informal. 950 employees have been hired under our Waste Monitoring and Policing and another 350 are engaged as streets captains.
“Other categories of people offered job opportunities are 300 marine waste employees, 14,010 street sweepers and another 3,500 under the Highway Managers.”
Mr. Bello said the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) received 1,122 public complaints on noise pollution within the last six months.
However, no prosecution was secured as defaulters complied upon receipt of the second abatement notice within the period while some cases were settled out of court.
He also said the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) has expanded the operational divisions from 10 to 21 for “proactive efficiency” and reintroduced green uniforms for the operatives to “symbolise greening and the environment.”
The commissioner also commended KAI for the “drastic reduction in street hawking across major highways and arresting 2,858 people including illegal traders, environmental polluters, cart pushers, highways crossing defaulters with 294 prosecutions.”
The commissioner said the administration in 2019, reintroduced the Emergency Flood Abatement Gang (EFAG) “as one of its measures to ensure a flood-free state.”
