The average commuter who has to get to work early each morning or return late every evening now has a problem to deal with in many parts of the state. If it is not the traffic and road rage that stems from a road duel in which anyone can win or lose, it is the stench that oozes from the numerous bus stops you pass by. In the rain or heat, your discomfort becomes indeed real.

It is worse on a Monday morning when you are in a supposedly ‘good vibe’ and your smile creases to a frown because another passenger has to alight close to an abandoned refuse dump in the middle or by the side of the road, at the very bus stop of their choice.

For a densely populated city like Lagos, sighting public refuse dumps is an eyesore. From the many effects that these large heaps of refuse dumps can result in, the worst is an epidemic. An environmental specialist says we have not gotten there yet, but others might disagree.

Bose Ogundipe is the most concerned and affected person of the waste menace that has been slowly ravaging Lagos and threatening to take it over.  Since she does not have a shop and no roof over her head; she is your regular recharge card seller who has no choice than to conduct her business next to the huge pile of rubbish that is close by a little overhead bridge at Iyana-Ipaja.

Bose fears are heightened by the future implication of waste, and the direct result of maggots breeding on the refuse piles. She spoke like one with experience expecting the micro-organisms to come soon enough, just to prove to our correspondent that the sighting and inhalation of waste was not just an eyesore-  but if not properly taken care of will result in bouts of illness for her and all the others around her, hustling for daily bread.

Judging from the statistics of waste in Lagos State which is almost inexistent and out-dated, there has been no effort by the Government to produce a comprehensive data of waste till date. Recent investigations reveals that Waste collection rose from 369,000 metric tonnes in 1980 to 1, 771,259.01 metric tonnes in 2014 after which there was no data on the quantity of waste produced in the metropolitan state. See (http://www.lawma.gov.ng/waste-statistics/ on waste statistics in Lagos State from 1980 till date).

Globally, cities across the world produce 1.3 billion tonnes of waste annually, on the other hand, Nigeria generates more than 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually and according to the Managing Director of Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA), Engr. Abdul Wahab Ogunbiyi, the rate of waste generated by residents has hit 13,000 metric tonnes on a daily basis and therefore becomes imperative for the formulation of a holistic approach to tackle the accompanied challenges. However Mukaila Sanusi, Assistant Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of the Environment, Alausa, Ikeja begs to differ. In the little excerpt attributed to him, we discover that the waste generated in Lagos is more than 13,000 metric tonnes as appropriate waste data is not fully provided to account for the exact measure of waste generated in Lagos.

“If per capita waste generation rate at 1.2 kg per person per day is anything to go by, waste generated in Lagos far outweighs the official figure of 13,000 tons per day. Also, the fact that the per capital waste generation has been projected to rise to 1.42 kg in the next fifteen years presents a serious cause for concern,” Sanusi was quoted saying.

It is in the view of reforming the waste sector that the State Government last year, proactively signed a $135 million (N85 billion) agreement with a foreign firm as part of its new waste management policy, a partnership under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative expected to last for four years.

Ambode said: “We are also embarking on massive reform in the waste and sanitation management system. I don’t like the way the city is and the Private Sector Participants (PSP) collectors are not having enough capacity to do it but again should I tax people to death, the answer is no.

“I do not want to tax people, and so we need this partnership with the private sector so that it can invest in the sanitation management of the city and in no time, maybe by July, the city will change forever.” Hence the partnership with Visionscape Sanitary Solutions (VSS), a subsidiary of the Visionscape Group was birthed.

Visionscape trucks are fully equipped and embedded with cutting-edge features, which includes a Global Positioning System (GPS), radio-frequency identification (RFID), and automotive Controller Area Network (CAN bus) system. These innovative features are designed to meet the operational needs facing waste management across the state. Using these methods, Visionscape will be able to monitor and track the state’s waste collection processes thoroughly, ensuring the trucks are deployed for effective waste collection within Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) and Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Despite the $50 million consignment given to Visionscape, the reduction of LAWMA to a regulatory body, and full autonomy given to Visionscape to map the waste affected areas to the state and rid Lagos of waste, their only recent achievement has been clearing over 80,000 tonnes of waste in more than 1000 illegal dumpsites across the state within a period of six months. This slow pace, compared to the 23 million people residing in Lagos has raised doubt whether Visionscape Solutions will be able to combat the overwhelming piles of waste that has long taken over the streets of Lagos. Bearing in mind that the state produces more than 13,000 metric tonnes of waste per day.

Read Also: The mega city has now become the mega dustbin.

Nevertheless, Visionscape has continued to spend the last six months surveying the whole of Lagos state whilst collating data of the population density in regards to various communities and households across to state to know the amount of waste generated per location. This new development is not bad, since there is no available data on waste but this process of gathering data would continue for 18 months, and maybe even more as the Visionscape is more committed to providing statistics than solving the real problem of the growing piles.

According to CEO, Visionscape,John Irvine said:

“To enable the contract to start, which is in different stages, it often takes 18 months gestation period. We spent the first 18 months on mobilisation, of different segments of the contract. The first segment was initial mobilisation, which entails the surveying; the second stage is stabilisation, while the third is augmentation. And each of the segments takes between three and four months before full service is realised.”

During a recent visit to Iyana-Ipaja, a popular bus stop located in the suburbs of Lagos, overridden by dirt, Bose complained that she could not have her meals close to the refuse dump site where her only source of livelihood was located, since she has to inhale the stench while struggling to keep her business afloat.  But Bose wasn’t alone, she had a man and a nursing mother about her who held a young child, surrounded by heaps on the left and on the right.

Our correspondent who went on a tour of five locations from February 6 through February 13th 2018, listened to what various residents had to say.

Iyana-Ipaja

People quickly walked past Iyana-Ipaja bus stop immediately after they alighted from their respective vehicles, (both commercial and private). It was not so hard to see why they were always in a hurry to get past the bus stop. With their hands tightly clutched to their noses and the other hand tightly holding on to their valuables, they begin to wade through a ton of people with so much disdain for the heavy pile of waste that has been left abandoned for close to a week.

Bose said:

‘We don’t have anything to do about it, we will keep quiet. Several times, people will come about and be packing it. Other times, people will drop items here and be going. Before they usually come every day and as at yesterday they did not come here. The security is not tight, even others come from other locations to dump their refuse here.

“It was on Saturday they came last. It affects us a lot. We cannot even eat here. We don’t have choice but we must eat here because we don’t have a shop.” She pointed to a nursing mother and her child who were in the business of selling recharge cards in the sun.

“This is where we stay till we are going home. They aren’t done, they still go to bring more and more refuse to add to it. The Government has to assist us. If they are packing it every day the odour will not be like this, hope you understand?” She beckoned to our reporter.

“When they were packing it every day, it wasn’t like this.” Bose who was too scared to disclose details about herself feared that she might be sent away for disclosing some details to our correspondent. She had to be repeatedly assured that no harm will come to her and her business.

She also stated that very soon maggots will begin to feast on the juicy refuse and result into illnesses.

“The result of this refuse will be maggots. The Government has to bring vehicles to come and pack this thing.” She beckoned.

Our correspondent met another respondent who was obviously selling items from the backseat of his car parked in the scorching sun and the pervasive stench. The respondent who referred to himself as Alaba Popoola and the lady co-running the business as Opeyemi said the refuse abandoned at Iyana-Ipaja was dangerous to their health. “This odour is too much he complained. We can’t even have our lunch here because of the stench.’ Worse off was when Opeyemi added that: “Customers don’t like to stop by here. No customer will buy anything due to the stench.”

Olawale expressed his displeasure in the Lagos State Government who have failed to clear the refuse that has continued to besiege the community for days now.  Olawale exclaimed loudly while speaking to our correspondent. “It is not okay at all,” he enthused. “This place is just dirty, the Government should make everywhere clean and help us out. He should make everywhere clean.”

James Ijeioma was very keen to give an in-depth knowledge of the waste situation to our correspondent at Iyana-Ipaja. He stated that the refuse in Iyana-Ipaja has been left unattended to for more than three days and the reason for the heavy heap of refuse that has been scattered beyond the designated point is because the Government has failed in their duty to keep disposing of the dirt as at when due, hence the over flow of refuse.

He told our correspondent that the market women were the ones responsible for removing the dirt.

“It is what I know that I will tell you. The market pays money to me to offload this. I don’t know if it is the Government that collects it in the end but I join them to load the refuse and dump it in Ojota.”

“The place is big,” James said. “They dig the ground and bury all these things in it. After it goes rotten, they dig another place to bury other refuse materials. LAWMA used to be the one doing the work but now, it has been changed to Visionscape as they are the ones handling it now.”

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Our correspondent was surprised to find people in the stench recovering several items from the trash.  James explained that there were scavengers and are always welcome to scout the trash for what to sell to earn a living.

“These are the people who do not have a job or something to help, so they come inside here to find something to survive themselves. You can find anything you pick and sell it.”

Ijeioma said that he collects five thousand for the job of disposing refuse while the ones in the market collect three thousand for their jobs.

While our correspondent took a ride from Iyana-Ipaja to Yaba, he continued to notice more heaps of refuse located at different places on the road. Notable amongst them was the huge refuse pile at the Iyana-Ipaja BRT Bus stop, close to a bank; another was located along the Ikeja axis, immediately after the Onilekere Police Station, close to a culvert.

Igando

Our correspondent paid a visit to the environs of Igando. Huge piles of refuse were displayed at every turn. Some were hidden on the pedestrian walkway while others were put in the public glare by the BRT Bus stop, and Fatoki, Odo-Isuti road loading parks.

A big pile was put in between the roads facing the Enyo filing station that was recently completed. Not too far from the Integrated Power Project, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria dedicated to the Igando Local Government Area had a very disturbing pile by the side. Opposite the Igando Police Station are spots continuously taken over by the dirt. Far deep in Egan, several spots on the Isuti road have become ready dump sites for public refuse disposal. Despite the advent of Visionscape truks and waste bins on the road, the refuse is still being dumped on the road.

Refuse dumpers are the enemies of themselves

One of the perceptions echoed by Oluwatomi of Tabis Stores was that the people residing in Igando were the enemies of themselves. Her Store, Tabis Stores is situated by Stanbic IBTC bank, opposite the Igando BRT bus-stop, not too far from Akinyemi Street which is directly opposite it. When our correspondent paid her a visit on Monday, there was a huge pile of refuse in front of the store.

She opined that the fault lied with the people who were fond of piling their refuse in front of her store which caused an unbearable stench whenever the refuse was abandoned for days.

“They do come every Thursday. Sometimes they come twice in a week, however the fault lies with the residents who have made it a habit to keep dumping refuse here all the time.”

Our correspondent probed further to know who did the packing of the refuse, Oluwatomi disclosed to our correspondent that the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) do pack the refuse.

Yaba

On getting to Yaba, our correspondent took a walk along the psychiatrist hospital and turned a bend onto Montgomery Street. It was obvious that Yaba was clean; the streets were free from refuse piles on the road. Speaking with Emeka, a street cobbler who sold belts on the side, he applauded the Government.

“They are doing their best. They cannot do more than their best,” he stated.

Patience Okoro said that the Government has been doing their work. Even though she was not a resident of that street, she stated that they always pack the refuse on time. Close by the street was some tiny scraps of refused littered by the side of the waste bin. Exactly an hour after our correspondent combed the area; the refuse was cleared in no time.

Read Also: Environmentalist urges LASG to rid Lagos streets of refuse

Most residents on the street applauded the Government. They continued to assert that the Government was flawless in clearing the dirt from the streets of Lagos. Our correspondent went by Thorborn Avenue, as well as Ado Ibrahim Street. Our correspondent noticed that the streets were clean and devoid of the dirt that was spotted two weeks ago.

Co-founder of Urban Errands, Brenda Omojoye, asserted that Lagos has not been rid of dirt from the streets. She complained of the refuse dump in Okoko and gave a scenario of a woman selling oranges in heaps of dirt. “The Lagos State Government has not been doing a good job in ensuring a cleaner Lagos.”

Journeying back to Egbeda, our correspondent continued to observe the dirt on the streets. At Anthony Bus stop, a horrendous stench greeted the commuters as they drove past. At St. Gloria School, Maryland, another heap of dirt was seen on the roadside, in front of the academic institution located just metres behind the pile. School children were seen wading through the dirt as they made their way home.

Egbeda

Kelvin was highly pleased to speak to our correspondent. He sold shoes by the roadside in Egbeda. Right in front of him was a huge pile, trampled upon by both humans and vehicles alike. Some even poured down the gutter. In-between the roads were heaps of refuse, despite spotting the Visionscape truck in the morning, the refuse was still not packed.

Kelvin who was highly appreciative of the visit made a mental note to complain of the refuse. “Sometimes, they pack the refuse and sometimes, it takes up to three to four days.” Kelvin said the stench is so bad, they keep smelling it. He also admitted that he takes his meals in the midst of the stench since he has no choice.

“The Government should pack the refuse everyday so the refuse would not be staying here. The last time they came here was Friday last week and since that Friday till today they have not come to pack it. Before the issue of changing LAWMA to Cleaner Lagos, they used to pack it every day, in fact every morning. But since the LAWMA issue, they leave it till three or four days before they pack it.

“We are not comfortable with this refuse walahi. We used to pay Mallam money to help us to pack it. We pay them one thousand naira. They should pack all this refuse so that bad odour will not kill us.” Popoola Medinant said. All of these she reiterated in Yourba parlance.

Ikotun

Ikotun’s refuse dump was beyond borders. While our correspondent took a trip to Ikotun to get a soft drink, he interviewed the women on the roadside. “The LAWMA people said they are not working again and they are now looking for someone else to pack it,” one woman stated. “We don’t like the situation but we have no choice.”

LAWMA has been scrapped

The State Government actually ordered us to stop working, Alhaji Rasak Sodiq, Chairman of the Igando/Ikotun Lagos State Management Authority ( LAWMA) stated in an interview granted by our correspondent. “Yesterday, I went to a meeting of the Local Government and they said we should stop packing refuse.” People who he likened to the Visionscape.

LAWMA has been scrapped.  “Go to the junction, the express and the entire junction there,” the chairman pointed roundabout Egan, “the dirt is still there.”

Sodiq said the matter is not being taken lightly as they are currently in the court. He said the ruling will be gotten on February 14 but they are still working. Following the continued suits being filed, LAWMA has been mandated to cooperate with Visionscape Sanitary Solutions to keep the waste out of Lagos State.

“We are sticking to commercial.”

The LAWMA boss asserted that they are sticking to commercial. “Commercial involves Hotels, Guinesss, Petrol Station, Hospitals while the residential areas will be taken over by Cleaner Lagos. Howbeit, Sodiq stated that the new arrangement of “commercial” doesn’t suit them well. This is due to the lucrative aspect of the job. There are more homes than companies and the return on investment might not yield very much.

He alluded to the fact that truck pushers were being arrested for packing refuse. He stated that they were being arrested and whisked off to Kirikiri prison. “Everybody is complaining,” he stated.

Another investigation carried out by our correspondent that speaks to the fact that LAWMA has been scrapped is on occasion of the LAWMA website (Lawma.gov.ng). Our correspondent who visited this site looking for an online means of reaching out to LAWMA on February 6 2018 found a website working but lacking content. However, on Sunday, 11 February, the account was temporarily suspended for the whole day. (Screenshots are published to prove this). Finally, on Monday 12 2018, the website now redirects to cleaner Lagos website. (More Screenshots are published to prove this).

In a statement credited to Cleaner Lagos, Kiran Reddy had this to say:

“We are looking at buying local equipment from local buyers. This will give an edge for us to build our service and develop Nigeria. Dumping waste into the water or on the road is an environmental issue. People need to package their waste so it can be dumped legally to avoid any health outbreak. ”

The fate of the Truck Pushers

Alhaji Rasak Sodiq wasn’t the only that alluded to the arrest of truck pushers, a truck pusher who was seen in Egan, Igando/Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, deep in the suburbs also spoke of the unfair treatment meted out to him. He said his colleagues were unduly arrested in highbrow areas, being the reason they paraded the residential areas deep in the streets of Egan. He laid credence to members of the council seeking bribes from them and making the business of dumping refuse difficult.

When asked where he dumps his refuse, he said: “We pay money and settle them before we pour the refuse on the land (since it is not ours); the council people are also there and they always arrest us in the major areas.”

Reorientation- Environmental Expert urges

“We have a wrong orientation and mind set to environment and waste management,” a Lagos environmental expert says. He urged that people be reoriented and make a conscious decision not to let waste take over their surroundings, an environment expert who refused to be named said.

‘We can’t see LAWMA trucks any longer. Look at major bus stops, we are beginning to have waste. At Okoko and major roads, there are heaps of refuse. If there is an outbreak, it would spread like wildfire. Breeding dumps have become a nestling point for rodents- lassa fever. Dirty environment leads to epidemic.’

There are several laws on environment but the failure of the Government in following the rule of law is what makes the laws questionable. We have wonderful laws but enforcement is the problem.’ When asked who shared the blame, the expert said that the Government is at fault and the people also.

Read Also:PSP operators, Visionscape, Lagos Govt resolve differences

‘In a democracy the people are the Government, they are the ones elected into offices. As a people we need orientation, obedience of a rule should be seen as an obligation for the greater good. Government should enforce laws to stop people from dumping refuse just anywhere.

‘It should be a conscious effort of living that we should not break the law. Everyone should make this decision on their own terms. It is an individual thing. We should live as humans and not animals.’

Factions and aggrieved members

 Factions have now continued to exist within the private waste operators as a certain group have distanced themselves from the operations of Visionscape and Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI). The aggrieved group led by Oladipo Egbeyemi have continued to distance themselves from the agreement to work with the Government to rid the state of filth adorning major streets and highways.

However, concerned stakeholders in a statement signed by Kasumu Afis Olasehinde said the statement by the aggrieved stakeholders has not only left a bitter taste in the mouth but shows them to be indifferent about the wellbeing of Lagosians.

The concerned stakeholders reemphasized that wellbeing of Lagosians is paramount in their minds and they cannot let an epidemic take over the megacity.

“We also state that the wellbeing of Lagosians is utmost in our mind, and as we approach the raining season, we cannot just watch but also intervene to avoid epidemic, which is what the aggrieved group does not care about.’’

Government responds

The heaps of refuse indiscriminately dumped on Lagos roads will soon disappear, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Kehinde Bamigbetan said.

The recent challenges experienced in waste management, Bamigbetan said, were being addressed, adding that refuse disposal would be with easy once VisionScape, the waste managers, starts its operations fully.

The commissioner spoke of this in an interview after top officials in the Lagos State Ministry of Environment will refuse talking to our correspondent.

He said: “When we came on board, we realised there were many problems with the waste management system being championed by PSP operators. We found out that there are over 2,000 illegal dumpsites across the state and these PSP operators illegally dumped refuse on these sites. We discovered the PSP operators still face logistics challenges, despite managing the system for several years.

“In delivering a modern method of waste management, the government has engaged Vision Scape, a private firm, to bring about effective and efficient way of waste disposal. The firm is expected to bring in 600 compactors and waste bins to manage waste in all the 377 wards across the state. The delay in the importation of these compactors is responsible for the challenges we are facing now.”

The commissioner said Vision Scape would soon start full operation having taken delivery of substantial numbers of compactors.

Written by Joseph Olaoluwa