Lagos State Waste Management Authority to levy scavenger who scour rubbish dumps

LAGOS State Waste Management Authority (Lawma) officials have announced that scavengers who scour rubbish dumps for used material will be made to pay levies because they are stealing raw material.

 

Across Lagos State, it is common for scavengers to scour rubbish dumps for plastics and used articles and then recycle this into finished goods. However, Lawma chairman Olumuyiwa Adejokun said that the material they are gathering belongs to the state government and they will now be asked to pay for it.

 

Mr Adejokun added: “Scavengers must pay to the government purse because they make money from whatever they collect across dump sites. What we call waste is no more waste, they are raw materials, so papers, plastic, iron, nylon and other things scavengers gather across the state must attract levies.

 

“All these scavengers must register to make revenue for the government as they are stealing government’s raw materials. Every scavenger must pay and we must generate money for government.”

 

According to Mr Adejokun, the authority will not relent in its efforts to manage wastes in the state. He added that the management had brought in innovations into the system such as waste categorisation and separation, for easy waste collection by operators.

 

In addition, he stated that the government was on the top of managing waste to create jobs and ensure cleaner environment, saying that more recyclers were springing up in the state. Mr Adejokun said that dumping refuse on water drains had serious health and environmental dangers for residents and he urged residents to package their waste well for Lawma.

 

He added: “Our advocacy teams have not relented going from a market to another, from one area to another, sensitising Lagosians to manage their wastes properly. Don’t throw waste anywhere.

 

“There is no way we will have wastes on waterways that it will not affect us. Don’t throw waste anyhow. Government spends a lot to clear canals.”

 

In addition, Mr Adejokun urged residents to change their orientation and shun indiscriminate throwing of waste in the environment or giving waste to cart-pushers.  He said that the authority was up to the task, urging residents to always sort solid wastes from liquid, for easy collection by waste collectors.