The Association of Waste Managers in Nigeria has distanced itself from claims of a resolution of the dispute between the Dubai-based firm, Visionscape Group, and private waste operators.
In a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, the association said the claims that Visionscape and the PSP operators have resolved to work as partners following a meeting on Thursday the 22nd February 2018 is clearly misleading and untrue.
“On the said date we were before Justice Taofiquat Oyekan Abdullahi of the Lagos High Court, Igbosere, in the suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria also known as PSP against the Lagos State Government,” the group said in a statement by its chairman, Oladipo Egbeyemi.
“Visionscape, and ABC Sanitation Solution all the parties legal representatives were duly present and the case was adjourned till March 7, 2018.
“The reason for the adjournment was to allow all parties to document agreement reached with His Excellency Mr Akinwunmi Ambode on Saturday 27th January 2018. It was also to allow both parties to conclude on areas that have not been resolved.”
But, according to the PSP operators, while the court proceedings were ongoing; the Lagos State government, Visionscape, ABC Solutions and another group of PSP operators were holding a parallel meeting at the state’s Ministry of Environment.
At the meeting, which had Thomas Forgacs, the Chief Operations Officer of Visionscape Sanitation Solutions; Abiodun Bamgboye, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment; Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, the Commissioner for the Environment, an agreement was reportedly reached.
Also at the meeting were Babatunde Hunpe, Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment; John Irvine, Chief Executive Officer, Visionscape Sanitation Solutions; Bamidele Garko, Chief Executive Officer, Bamitony and Company, Ikoyi; and Lanre Wilton-Wawdell, Chief Executive Officer, Cleanway Limited.
“We, the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, registered under the Law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria have a duly nominated Executive Caretaker Committee to steer the affairs of the Association following the resignation of the former Executives. This executive Caretakers have been mandated to negotiate on behalf of our members,” the group continued in the statement.”
“We are proud of being responsible for making Lagos a clean State and are saddened to see waste return to our beloved Lagos. With a great sense of responsibility we agreed to collaborate with Visionscape following an explorative meeting between the Chief Executive of Visionscape, John Irvine. We expected that by now negotiations would have been concluded but Visionscape have yet to follow through after the agreements reached at the meeting.
“We hereby appeal to the Government of His Excellency Mr Akinwumni Ambode, not to patronize or encourage or meet with those that (are) not the accredited representatives of PSP operators, so that the government is not seen as encouraging impunity or sponsoring factions within our registered organization. We have continued to adher to the directive of His Lordship to continue to work despite the air of uncertainty that has plagued our industry in the last two years and the deplorable state of the dumpsites.
“We remain committed to an amicable legal resolution with the Government and collaboration with all stakeholders to not only restore Lagos to her once glorious clean state of old but to actualise the Cleaner Lagos dream of His Excellency Mr Akinwummi Ambode.”
END
Be the first to comment