On July 2015, after Oresanya spoke with PM news about his deployment as he puts it, by the government after 10 years of service to the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, it was seen by majority as a move to inculcate young mind into the system, but few understand the motive behind his deployment.
(LAWMA) which came into existence in the early 1970’s due to the industrial and emerging urbanization in Lagos, which thereby gave rise to increase in waste output by its inhabitants, such that after the (FESTAC 77’) in Nigeria, the state was termed as the “dirtiest”. Then along came the month of April, where the changes seem to start.
As at April 1977, the first waste management was then introduced, which happens to be the first in west Africa as a whole, it was then called the lagos refuse disposal board (LSRDB) under edict 9 of 1977, its activities was monitored frequently by the government, citizens of the state were seeing the results, this continued till it metamophosized into what it is today, as the LAWMA, Lagos Waste Management Authority thanks to the edict of number 55, in the year 1991.
The activities of (LAWMA), became more functional under its formal managing director Ola Oresanya, since the day he assumed office in 2005, under the belt of the then Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his reign brought many innovations and to the waste industry, which include some of what we still have today, the Private Service Providers, (PSP) Transfer Loading Stations (TLS).
Before the ascention of the current governor into office some of the Fashola led parastatals were relieved of their job, which included one of his sisters, and some major commissioners which is where the problem began, although every Government has the right to chose what or who will work for them, but lets always remember we are talking about the same political party, which therefore should have the same positive motives.
When Fashola sacked Oresanya various media outlets try not to explain the reasons behind it, some say it was just another way of given him another job in the ministry, but sources reveal that although he was been sacked by the the current, minister for housing works and power then, this was unconnected to power play, as he (Oresanya) was last seen together with the then minister of environment Dr. Tunji Bello, who reports directly to the former Lagos state Governor Fashola.
Then along came Ambode with his change mantra, which was echoed across the state in the early 2015’s the kind of change many people never voted for, this was a different force but on the same field.
The (PSP) was carrying out their functions and the (LAWMA) was also carrying out their duties, before his arrival, an effective function by the (LAWMA) that wasn’t unnoticed as it bagged an award for its outstanding performance for its creation of wealth through its solid waste management, an award that was organized by the Raw Materials Research And Development Council, (RMRDC) among other achievements by the (Lawma).
Why then change a winning team? Why then do we need to further incur our scarce wealth in securing another contract for a needless purpose? When the presiding team is working effectively to their very best, even though in Nigeria today moral laxity might be the cause of the poor state of mind where we are today. But some things are not needed except there are some subjective purpose behind them afterall.
When Fashola left office, Lagosians will remember him for various names of public service which emanated as a result of his tenure, Lasma, Lasepa, Lawma, Lassrra, Lastma, even though this offices has been even before he became the governor, an average man would think of fashola first when any of this names where, mention or where to be traced down the line. Perhaps Ambode came and wants to leave a trademark of his own when he leaves office.
The birth of vision scape, was table thus, Lagos as a megacity need to work the way other mega city works, it needed a brand that is known globally the cleaner Lagos vision was introduce along with the aim of creating over (500,000) jobs in Lagos, indirectly with about (27,300) well remunerated sanitation workers, and a pay package of (23,000) with an insurance which eclipse the previous (10,000) been paid to operators of (LAWMA), the promises included thousands of waste bin across Lagos to ensure effective cleaner Lagos initiative.
This CLI, will take control of the surroundings while the PSP and LAWMA, will now be a regulatory body while the former will become a commercial waste carriers or workers.
The Ambode led administration therefore embark on full business with the cleaner Lagos initiatives after rebranding major parasite left by the former governor, the promise was a cleaner Lagos, but sadly till today it has been a dirtier Lagos, unkempt environment, schools, markets, and streets of Lagos has all been so dirty that one of Nigeria’s daily newspaper reported the scene as a deliberate effort to make the cleaner Lagos initiative look like a vision that is not working, while in truth base on what the common man can see out there it isn’t.
Some times ago, it was reported that the government has settle the difference that existed between the PSP, and the vision scape, waste workers, then the first thing that cross my mind was when did the environment of the citizens of lagos state become a thing where we fight and settle a case for, it was reported in the process of settling this rift, about N2.5 billion was been projected to the PSP, to purchase new facility in other to upscale their effort and given access to loans of not more than 12% to be charged in order to carry out their daily routines to Lagos state and its environs.
With credits to Femi Adewale, in his article about the same issue, this time around it was about an organization name, greater Lagos youths who seems to have faulted the welcome by some lagosians about the CLI, and its activities in Lagos. The group which comprises of 60 individuals gotten from the 57 local government development council areas of Lagos, claiming that it’s too early for people to condemn the motive behind such policy that people should give it time, but the real question is, for how long?
As Lagos continue to get dirtier by the day, and every moment someone somewhere is down with health related issues, which is a great concern for the common man, who hardly get to take three square meals a day, and who seems to be blind to the dangers of the environment.
Today, we are grumbling about hips and piles of waste that has almost lead to an epidemic state, take a walk along the shores of Egbeda, you will understand what I mean, perhaps you can also have a slide towards the windy plains of Ojo, close to Iyana Iba, an hectic area where commercial activities are taking place almost all days, you will notice how unkempt this place now looks like, students of the Lagos state university also have complain bitterly about the issue, one student even went further to pour his grief, “everything about government is corruption now a days, common to keep our surroundings clean, has become impossible, what a change indeed”
How then did Lagos state become so dirty?
In few words this started as a result when the Lagos state government, Akinunmi Ambode, sacked its previous waste collectors PSP, and a new company called visionscape was hired to take over responsibility, from the (PSP) private sector participation.
This therefore has prompted the governor to issue a twenty day ultimatum for the full cleaning of Lagos state markets and all riverine areas, but it is no too late, perhaps we could say this to be the fact that the new group is still trying to find its foot on the ground, no one knows how long this might take, but it’s a year and we are still counting, and Lagos still dirtier than previous times, maybe it’s time to forget chasing a name to leave behind, and focus on the core functions of governance, by our today politicians, only time would tell after all.
Ikareemazeez@yahoo.com
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GREAT ARTICLE SIR.