The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has arrested about 30 environmental offenders for improper disposal of waste and flagrant disregard of the environmental laws of the state.
This was revealed in a statement signed by LAWMA’s Director of Public Affairs, Folashade Kadiri, on Saturday.
According to the statement, this action is part of the state’s zero-tolerance policy on the indiscriminate disposal of waste and was carried out by a joint team of LAWMA and the state Environmental Sanitation Corps.
Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, stated that the arrest and subsequent punishment of defaulters who indulge in indiscriminate trash disposal demonstrated that it was no longer business as usual.
He added that the state government could not sit back and watch as people undermined attempts to keep the city in order.
Wahab further stated that the age of people lurking in the dark to dump rubbish in unapproved areas was over and that anyone discovered would face prosecution.
This, he believes, will act as a deterrent and a warning to others. Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, Managing Director of LAWMA, further asked householders to develop the practice of sorting their garbage at the source, dividing it into recyclables and non-recyclables, and using specific waste bins recommended by the waste management authority.
He went on to say that it would help lessen the problem of indiscriminate rubbish dumping, which defaces the city.
