Sanwo-Olu urges LAWMA chief to resign over waste problem - Report

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has asked Muyiwa Gbadegesin, the Managing Director of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), to resign. This request comes due to the ongoing issue of refuse piling up all over the state.

According to Punch Newspaper, a source within LAWMA, who wished to remain anonymous, said the governor was not pleased with how Mr Gbadegesin was managing the waste crisis. The governor made the request after a visit to the Olusosun dumpsite in Ojota about a month ago. He had instructed that urgent steps be taken to improve waste management.

"The governor was upset when he saw that nothing had changed despite his clear directive. So, over the weekend, he asked him to resign, although he is begging and has reached out to some prominent Lagosians to plead on his behalf," the source told Punch.

It is still unclear if Mr Gbadegesin managed to convince the governor to change his mind.

PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Gbenga Omotosho, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, via text messages for the government's response to this report. As of now, he has not replied.

This request comes after many complaints from residents about refuse piling up on roads, streets, and drainage channels in several areas of Lagos. Places like Mushin, Egbeda, Surulere, Ajegunle, Ikorodu, Ojo, Obalende, Apapa, and Mile 2 have all been affected.

In September, Governor Sanwo-Olu declared a state of emergency on waste collection after inspecting the Olusosun dumpsite. During this visit, he met with stakeholders in waste management along with his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, to discuss how to improve waste collection and disposal across the state.

The governor blamed some of the problems on private waste collectors not meeting their obligations in the weeks before. He also mentioned that ongoing waste compaction at both the Olusosun and Solous 3 dumpsites would help them take in more municipal waste. Recent fires at these sites had also affected their operations.

The waste crisis has led to action against private waste collectors. In October, LAWMA revoked the operating licenses of six private waste operators due to their poor performance.

Despite these efforts, Mr Gbadegesin stated that LAWMA is still working to clear waste in affected communities. On Saturday, he posted on his X account that 11 out of the 15 routes covered by the week's cleanup program had received updates.

He reported that Mile 2 had been cleared. Three more trucks were sent to Doyin-Orile and nearby areas. Daily waste collection is still ongoing on Ijesha Road and in Itire-Ikate. Bucknor-Ijegun has been cleared and is now on a three-times-weekly collection schedule.

Mr Gbadegesin mentioned that LAWMA had taken over interim waste collection in Okeira and Oluodo after ending the contracts of their private operators. They are also continuing collection in Ogolonto and Igbokusu. Obalende has been cleared and provided with a waste bin.

They are still clearing waste in Iraye but are waiting for updates from Apapa, Abesan Estate, Idimu-Ejigbo Road, and the Isheri-Igando corridor.

"The goal is to move from just clearing waste to maintaining regular collection and preventing the problem from coming back, not just removing visible waste," Mr Gbadegesin wrote.

Mr Gbadegesin was reappointed as LAWMA managing director after Governor Sanwo-Olu won re-election.