By Awyetu Asabe Hope
Lagos State government has prosecuted no fewer than 4,000 persons arrested for unauthorised dumping of refuse in different locations across Lagos State in the last one year.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this in a media chat on Wednesday.
Mr. Wahab made the comments following media concerns over the recuring heaps of waste dumped on road medians in parts of the state.
The return of refuse on the streets has elicited questions about the capacity of waste collector companies and the waste management authority to manage waste generatuon in the state.
In his reaction, Mr Wahab expressed dismay at what he described as blatant violations of environmental laws, saying, “The question we need to ask is: Why are people taking waste from their homes and dumping it on the median? Is that fair to the state?
He emphasised that enforcement remains a central component of the state government’s Clean Lagos strategy.
“We have arrested a lot of them (environmental violators). My belief is that there must be consequences for bad behaviour. That is why we take them to court. We have prosecuted over 4,000 in the last 12 months. We are not playing.
He emphasised that enforcement remains a central component of the state government’s Clean Lagos strategy.
“We have arrested a lot of them (environmental violators). My belief is that there must be consequences for bad behaviour. That is why we take them to court. We have prosecuted over 4,000 in the last 12 months. We are not playing.
He told the Punch exclusively that there is no way you will have laws, and you can’t enforce them citing Singapore as an example: “you can’t chew gum because you will pay a penalty”.
