*To invests N86bn on waste management in four years

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

At least a total of 32,662.00 metric tons of waste was evacuated in different parts of Lagos, while 216 Marine-waste was evacuated in 13 major water bodies’ locations in the state.

This came as Lagos State Government explained the motive for the cancellation of monthly environmental sanitation exercise saying it will have no negative effect on the state; rather it will enhance the prosperity of the people through increased business activities.

The state’s Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare made the remarks during a recent monthly media briefing of the Ministry.

Recounting activities of his ministry in the month of November, the environment commissioner stated that a total of 32,662.00 metric tons of waste was evacuated in the Central, Western and Eastern parts of Lagos while 216 Marine-waste was evacuated in 13 major water bodies’ locations in the state.

He said that efforts had been accelerated on recycling in the state as recyclable materials totalling 1, 407,242 were collected from the buy-back centre and recycling banks.

On the cancellation of restriction of movement on monthly sanitation, Adejare explained that it had been the position of the state government over the time that a mega-city like Lagos State should run a 24-hour economy to bring about greater prosperity for the people, stressing that it had become inappropriate to continue to restrict movement of people for three hours in a mega city like Lagos.

According to him, “Sanitation of the environment should be an everyday affair as it is done in other parts of the world. There is no place in the entire world where the whole state is shut down for three hours because of sanitation.”

“The cancellation of the monthly environmental sanitation is a win-win situation with the new plan in waste management which would involve Public Private Partnership (PPP) in domestic waste management, investment of about N86billion in four years and the deployment of over 600 new Mercedes Benz compactors and the engagement of street sweepers in all wards in the state.”