Lagos Aide Denies LAWMA Failed to Clear Waste After Sanitation Exercise

The Lagos State Government, through its Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, has strongly refuted allegations that the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) neglected its duties following the recent monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Gawat asserted that waste evacuation was indeed carried out across all local government areas, emphasizing that the exercise was a collaborative effort. He highlighted that various Local Government Areas (LGAs) have even procured their own compactor trucks, a move he described as part of the future of environmental management in the state.

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Saying LAWMA ‘did not’ come to pack waste yesterday is very FALSE.

This clarification comes amidst mixed reactions to the reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise. While Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu praised Lagosians for their participation, describing the turnout as encouraging and patriotic, some residents, like X user Lola Okunrin, questioned the effectiveness of waste evacuation by LAWMA. Okunrin’s post suggested that despite residents coming out for the exercise, LAWMA did not collect the waste, leading to it being washed back into gutters by the rain.

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Not only FALSE, various LGAs have bought their own compactor trucks to decentralise the work LAWMA was meant to do yesterday. That decentralisation is part of the future of environmental issues in the state.

The state government, however, remains committed to the initiative, viewing it as a crucial step towards good health and a reflection of the 'Spirit of Lagos.' Governor Sanwo-Olu urged residents to cease indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly with the rainy season approaching, to prevent worsened flooding due to blocked drainage channels. The government has intensified drainage clearance and launched public campaigns to discourage improper waste disposal, underscoring its broader strategy for environmental sanitation and flood control. From our perspective at The Punch, while the government's intentions are commendable, the public's skepticism highlights the persistent need for visible and effective execution to build trust in such initiatives.

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ALL LGAs participated in the exercise yesterday and all interventions are still ongoing till this moment.