By Abbas Nazil
The Executive Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. Jimoh Olanrewaju Saliu, has announced a new phase of strict enforcement in waste management, warning residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse in streets, drainages, and canals.
Speaking during a Stakeholders’ Meeting on Effective Waste Management, Saliu emphasized that the council would no longer tolerate environmental violations, stressing that offenders would face legal consequences.
He noted that improper waste disposal contributes to flooding during the rainy season and urged residents to engage only registered Private Sector Participants (PSP) for their waste collection.
Saliu warned that PSP operators who fail to deliver after repeated warnings would have their contracts terminated.
He added that effective waste management would free up funds for developmental projects instead of repeated drainage clearing.
Addressing residents in Yoruba for better understanding, Saliu announced that a two-week inspection would begin soon and that houses with blocked waterways would be fined.
He revealed that about 90 percent of residents were not paying PSP fees and insisted that the practice must stop.
Saliu explained that the government would not subsidize PSP operations and that the enforcement of payments would be handled through the Community Public Affairs and Inter-City Affairs offices.
Director of Environmental Health Services, Sanitarian Agannaonoh Mathew, said the meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration between the government, PSP operators, and residents for a cleaner environment.
He warned that strict enforcement of sanitation laws would follow.
Director of LAWMA LGs/LCDAs Integrated Waste Management Services, Mr. Alan Oluwakemi, urged residents to embrace waste sorting and see waste as a resource that can generate income.
Speaker of the Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, Hon. Adigun Abdulihi Aroungade, appealed to residents to stop indiscriminate dumping, noting that poor sanitation leads to diseases and flooding that affect everyone.
The meeting brought together PSP operators, community leaders, religious figures, and local officials, all pledging to work collectively to make Apapa-Iganmu cleaner and healthier.
