The Lagos State Government has tasked members of major transport unions to serve as waste police and monitor roads, bus stops, garages and lay-bys across the state against indiscriminate refuse dumping.
According to a statement by the spokesperson of the state Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Kunle Adeshina, the directive came on Saturday as the state government inaugurated a Special Task Force on the monitoring of the metropolis, charging transport union members to partner with the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) in enforcing environmental sanitation standards.
Speaking at a meeting in Alausa attended by top government officials and the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the move was aimed at tackling the growing challenge of indiscriminate waste disposal and environmental abuse.
“Our beautiful city is being challenged by indiscriminate refuse disposal and environmental abuse; we cannot fold our arms while people carry waste from their homes and dump it on roads, medians and public spaces. This is totally unacceptable,” Osiyemi said.
The commissioner noted that the state government could not monitor every road around the clock and stressed the need for collaboration with transport unions because of their widespread presence across Lagos.
“We cannot be on every road twenty-four hours a day; we are not abandoning this responsibility to you, neither are we doing it alone; what we are asking for is collaboration because this fight is not for government alone; it is for all of us,. In collaboration with LAWMA, some of your union members will act as our waste Police,” he said.
Osiyemi warned that individuals caught engaging in illegal waste disposal would face consequences, declaring that the era of impunity was over.
He also directed transport union leaders to take responsibility for maintaining clean and orderly parks, garages and bus stops, while condemning indiscriminate trading and the proliferation of makeshift structures within transport facilities.
According to him, such activities contribute significantly to waste generation and environmental degradation.
“You must stop allowing indiscriminate trading in your parks and bus stops. You must stop the proliferation of shanties in garages; these places should not become centres for environmental abuse or criminal activities; Every garage must have cleaners and must be maintained at all times,” the Commissioner added.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sam Egube, underscored the strategic role transport workers play in maintaining public order and security, saying they are important sources of information in the fight against crime.
He said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu believes the state’s environmental and social challenges can be overcome through collective efforts.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, revealed that Lagos generates about 13,000 tonnes of waste daily.
He commended the transport unions for moving more than 22 million commuters every day and urged them to deploy the same level of organisation and discipline towards supporting environmental sustainability.
“We need your support. Lagos is our home and we must keep it clean. From today, there must be no waste brought onto any road. Waste should be collected from homes and taken to designated points. Don’t bring refuse to the roads,” Gbadegesin said.
He further called on the unions to stop street trading around bus stops and newly constructed roads, warning that allowing traders to return to cleared areas would undermine the huge investments made by the government in road infrastructure and urban renewal.
Representatives of the transport unions, in their response, expressed readiness to collaborate with the state government on waste policing across the metropolis, including garages and bus stops.
(The Whistler)
