Issues regarding breaches of trust by suspended PSP operators in the waste management sector of Lagos Environmental Business, Excellens Links International, and Tunap Waste Company have now been addressed between them and their areas of operations in Oshodi, Mafoluku, Shogunle and Ewutuntun Communities in Lagos State.
Spearheading this resolution was the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which the Chairman of the Community, Engr. Babatunde Faleye, said “has worked tirelessly to ensure the hygiene sanity of Oshodi Constituency 1 is superb while maintaining the peace of the community altogether.”
The two PSP operators, over the years climaxing up to the end of 2023, had been accused of betraying the trust reposed in them by the LAWMA to college waste in the said areas without prejudice to anyone and in accordance with the rules and regulations of the state authority.
All Day Media reports how one of the waste collection companies bullied and used the Nigerian Police at Alagbon, court cases, thugs, and false information to suppress the Lagos resident community leaders and members from accepting their arbitrary increase in waste collection tariffs, despite selective operations that left the whole place in mess and sickness, but failed in the end, and they were suspended from business.
See the police invitation in the photo below:
On April 20, 2024, however, the issues were resolved not without written agreement presided over by LAWMA, where all parties agreed that whereas no member of the community, that is customers, shall owe, there shall be no selective services, arbitrary tariffs increase as the suspended PSP operators resume their business in the Afari-Ogun, Shogunle, Igbeyinadun and Oluyeye Wards areas of operations, according to a press statement by OMSE Chairman, Engr. Babatunde Faleye, a copy of which was sent to the newsmen at the weekend.
In a release signed by Engr. Faleye Babatunde, it applauded the consistent exceptional service of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), which has worked tirelessly to ensure the hygiene sanity of Oshodi Constituency 1 is superb while maintaining the peace of the community altogether.
The statement said that the “caution and reprimand of the waste managers in our community by the House of Assembly Committee on Environment (Parastatal) and LAWMA resulted in the reversal of the illegal rates to affordable ones now agreed to by the tyrant operators and a host of other reliefs.
Excellens Links resumed operations immediately after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU (already signed by other parties) was only sighted for the first time by OMSE on
Saturday, April 20, 2024.
A draft copy was sent earlier to be perused by OMSE and was not informed/invited to the official signing activity that was said to have taken place on Friday, April 19, 2024.
According to the statement, contained in the MOU were part of our demands: 1. Frequency of Waste Collection – Waste is to be collected at a minimum of once per week.
2. Tariff: No arbitrary increase in Tariff by the PSP Operators henceforth, but jointly with the Ministry, LAWMA, Local Government and community stakeholder groups.
3. Selective Services: No Selective Services should be embarked on by the PSPs.
4. Re-enumeration: LAWMA to directly or by use of agents to enumerate and house tag buildings across the state. All under the watchful eye of community stakeholders.
5. Use of Lagos State Government and LAWMA Logo: The Logo, Seal or Crest of the State Government and LAWMA are henceforth forbidden from use by the PSP Waste Operators on bills, receipts or any form of correspondence.
6. Enforcement: The power to enforce the law is the prerogative of the State and Local
Government. PSPs Operators shall not carry out enforcement of the law.
Unfortunately, some important issues raised by OMSE’s conditions were omitted on the MOU. Items such as:
1. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) repair of schools, community developments, Road repairs, Educational Sponsorships, etc. within the coverage areas and quite a lot of other projects could be done according to capacity.
2. Illegal increases To Rates Previously made: accumulated bills brought about by the illegal increment should be STRUCK OFF; Customers whose waste have been neglected (resulting from selective service) are NOT owed; Customers who continued paying the old rate of N450
DO NOT OWE; Customers who have paid the illegal excessive increase will be REFUNDED by equivalent months of service.
This is the only true and just way of correcting and cautioning the dastardly behaviors of the PSPs.
3. Probationary Period: The House of Assembly Committee on Environment (Parastatal)’s recommendation that the two (2) erring Operators be put on a 3-month probationary period was also not inputted in the MOU.
However, the statement stressed that some novel additions have now also been made to our conditions in the MOU generated, which are: 1. Safe Collection and Disposal of Solid Waste – Waste must be safely collected, transported, and disposed of without harm to the environment.
2. Vehicles and Equipment: The PSPs shall only use vehicles and equipment approved by the agency, and such vehicles and equipment shall be kept clean, garaged, and well maintained in good working conditions at all times.
3. Provision of Job Cards/Dockets: PSPs shall ensure to provide the community with a triplicate Job Card/Docket which shall be signed and counter-signed and serve as proof evidencing service delivery.”
“We wish to categorically state that the MOU should include the germane agitations of the community to achieve its objectives of fairness and justice to community residents. This would ensure lasting peace in the community, as desired by all.”
