By Olasunkanmi Akoni
LAGOS — As part of measures to ensure a filth-free Christmas and New Year celebrations, the Lagos Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, has warned residents in the state particularly, Orile Iganmu and Ajah communities and environs to desist from dumping refuse indiscriminately within the metropolis and on the road median or be sanctioned severely.

Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya, who was on an unscheduled tour to some parts of the metropolis cautioned that road construction activities going on in Orile-Iganmu and Ajah should not be an excuse for residents to ignore the sanitation laws and abuse the environment.

The agency, therefore, urged residents to pay for services rendered, adding that waste management was not free anywhere in the world.

Adding: “Those avoiding paying for services rendered by the PSP operators but would rather dump their refuse under the cover of darkness in unauthorized places have been warned to stop the unwholesome practices.”

Stressing that the government would remain committed to waste management, Oresanya warned that appropriate disciplinary measures would be taken against anyone caught violating the environmental sanitation laws.

LAWMA appealed for co-operation and urged residents across all ages, genders and nationalities throughout the state to strive for environmental sustainability.

The authority reiterated the earlier call on property owners, especially those on the highways, to have containers to complement the efforts of the government, urging them to bag the waste properly and place them in the containers for easy evacuation by the PSP operators.