Court hears waste managers, LASG case May 3

A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, has fixed May 3 for the hearing of a case filled by PSP operators seeking to stop the Lagos State Government from relieving them of their job of managing domestic wastes.

Justice Taofiquat Oyekan-Abdullahi on Thursday ruled that the matter should proceed for trial after both parties failed to reach out of court settlement as directed by the court.

Justice Oyekan-Abdullahi had on March 7 given the parties a two-week ultimatum to settle out of court.

Counsel to the PSP operators, Mr Tosin Adesioye, however, told the courtt on Thursday that they could not reach an agreement within the two-week mandate given by the court.

Adesioye said that the defendants only sent their counsels on the three occassions the parties met at the office of the Attorney-Genenal of the state.

Joined in the suit as respondents are the Commissioner for Environment and the Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice.

Others are Visionscape Sanitation Solutions Ltd and ABC Sanitation Solutions Ltd.

Counsel to Visionscape Sanitation Solutions Ltd and ABC Sanitation Solutions Ltd., Mr Francis Akinlotun said that the issue of willingness to collaborate had been resolved.

Akinlotun said that there were four issues of contention but two among them had been resolved.

”In principle, there is no disagreement. The issues here are the granular terms of this marriage. We have resolved all but two, which has to do with pricing and duration.

”Save for price, we have moved on all other issues. However, the claimants are not satisfied with the degree of compromise that we have reached.

”Even as we speak, the negotiations are ongoing, there is a disagreement on price, the price is even being calculated for different geo locations and that is where we are,” he said.

Counsel to first, second and third defendants, Ms Adetokunbo LadegaLadega, said that the position of the defendants was to probably proceed to trial.

”We seem to have made progress, but there are two fundamental issues that had continued to surface,” Ladega said.

Responding, Justice Taofiquat Oyekan-Abdullahi, said ”I think you should go to trial.

To that extent, Oyekan-Abdullahi fixed May 3 for hearing of pending application.